Cheesecake is a delicious raw cheese dessert with a delicate texture and a pleasant aroma. It is very popular among European and Eastern peoples. Prepare it according to several different recipes. The most interesting options will be considered in today's article.
A bit of history
Many of us think that America is the birthplace of this dessert. In fact, everything is somewhat different. Even the ancient Greeks knew what it was. Cheesecake was invented by the inhabitants of the island of Samos. The first mention of such a treat is dated to the VIII-VII centuries BC. Famous athletes and guests at weddings feasted on them.
Over time, the ancient Romans learned about the gentle curd dessert. Since then, cheesecake has become a favorite delicacy of Julius Caesar and court nobles. A little later, the recipes for this dish came to England and other European countries. And after that, thanks to the settlers, the Americans found out about them.
According to another version, the homeland of this dessert is the Middle East. Many experts are inclined to think that it was there that the first cheesecake was prepared, and that this dish was originally made from fermented milk. Initially, it was brought to a curd consistency. And then citrus zest, honey and egg yolks were added there, and then baked. Much later, the recipe began to be supplemented with other ingredients.
General recommendations
We think you already understood that cheesecake is a dessert made on the basis of selected varieties of cream cheese or cottage cheese. In addition, butter and crumbled crumbly cookies are necessarily present in its composition. Sour cream, sugar, chocolate, nuts, berries or pieces of fruit are often added to the filling.
It is important that all the components used to make the cheesecake are warmed to room temperature. To do this, they are taken out of the refrigerator in advance. So that the dessert surface does not crack, the curd mass is beaten at low speeds. It is recommended to bake it at one hundred and sixty degrees. It is advisable to do this in a detachable form, so that later it is easier to get a dessert without damaging it. Cool the browned cheesecake gradually. First, it is left in the open oven, and then on the table.
Classic Curd Cheesecake
The recipe for this dessert is so simple that any beginner will master it without any problems. So that during the cooking process you do not have additional difficulties, check in advance whether you have at hand:
- 300 grams of shortbread cookies.
- Half a packet of butter.
- 600 grams of cottage cheese.
- 100 milliliters of sour cream.
- 200 grams of sugar.
- 6 chicken eggs.
- Baking powder, starch and lemon.
Process description
To make sure that cheesecake is an incredibly simple and delicious dessert, you need to at least try to cook it yourself. For this, eggs, cottage cheese and butter are taken out of the refrigerator in advance. Once all these products have warmed to room temperature, you can proceed with further actions.
Crumbled cookies, butter and a quarter of all available sugar are combined in one dish. The resulting mass is distributed evenly over the bottom of the detachable refractory shape, not forgetting to make high sides.
Now you can do the filling. For its preparation, the curd is rubbed through a sieve, combined with egg yolks, sour cream, lemon juice and sugar residues. All beat slightly with a mixer, gradually adding baking powder and starch. As for proteins, they are placed in the refrigerator. Twenty minutes later, the product is whipped in a dense dense foam and carefully introduced into the curd mass. The finished filling is laid out on a sand base and sent to the oven. A classic cheesecake is made from cottage cheese, the recipe of which is presented a little higher, at one hundred and forty degrees. Typically, this process takes about fifty minutes. The finished dessert is cooled in an open oven and carefully removed from the mold. Then it is sprinkled with powdered sugar, cut into batch pieces and served with tea.
Cherry Cheesecake
Using the technology described below, a very light and airy dessert is obtained. It has a pleasant berry taste and delicate structure. Therefore, it can be served not only for family tea drinking, but also for any holiday. To prepare it, you will need:
- 500 grams of shortcrust pastry.
- A kilo of canned cherries.
- Egg.
- ½ cup sugar.
- 500 grams of cream cheese.
- A tablespoon of flour.
- Vanillin.
Sequencing
This is one of the easiest cheesecake options, so any beginner can easily cook it. First of all, you need to do the test. It is divided into two identical pieces. One of them is rolled out with a layer and placed in a refractory form, not forgetting to build the sides.
To prepare the filling, in an appropriate container, combine the egg, sugar and cream cheese. Whisk well with a mixer or whisk and distribute according to the test. Top with an even layer of spread cherry. The surface of the future dessert is decorated with stripes of dough, making a net out of them. Bake a cherry cheesecake at standard temperature. After forty minutes, the oven is turned off. Dessert is cut only after it has completely cooled down. Otherwise, it just falls apart under the knife.
Cheesecake without baking
The technology for preparing this dessert is very different from previous options. In this case, the oven will not be used. Due to the lack of heat treatment, all products retain all the valuable vitamins and minerals. Therefore, a gentle cheesecake will be not only tasty, but also healthy. To prepare it you will need:
- A pack of butter.
- Half a kilo of not too fat cottage cheese.
- ½ cup sugar.
- 200 grams of fat cream.
- 5 tablespoons of agar-agar (two of them will go for the preparation of jelly).
- About 300 grams of any berries or fruits.
- 50 milliliters of water.
- Berry syrup.
- Coconut Cookies.
The crumbled cookies are combined with soft butter and the resulting mixture is laid out on the bottom of a deep form covered with cling film. All this is cleaned in the refrigerator and begin to create the filling. For its preparation, mashed cottage cheese, sugar and any berries or pieces of fruit are combined in one bowl.
In a separate saucepan, cream is boiled, combined with three tablespoons of agar-agar. The resulting liquid is cooled and combined with the curd mass. The finished stuffing is gently mixed and spread on the frozen cookies. All this is filled with jelly made from agar-agar, sugar and water. The form with a practically ready dessert is cleaned in the refrigerator. There he must stay for at least four hours. Ideally, the cooling process should last all night. After this time, the frozen cheesecake is removed from the mold by gently pulling the edges of the cling film and cut into portions. They serve it with aromatic herbal tea or a cup of delicious strong coffee. Bon Appetit!