A Fruity Cheesecake

 “I'm not a vegetarian! I'm a dessertarian!” 

Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

 

 I Love Desserts and have confessed so a zillion times!! Blame it to my 'staying in Bengal' genes. I am the kind who eyes the dessert menu before moving to the main course. There is a kind of magnetic pull that makes me hunt for them. I make a mental note of the available varieties and keep my appetite adjusted to devour them in the end. Yes, I like to eat them very slow, enjoying and relishing every minute fraction of the sweet beauty!! And as much as I love eating them, I love to make desserts at home. My little diary is heaped up with dessert recipes and I long for reasons(or none) to try them. 
Apart from the sinful Chocolate recipes, I love to make desserts which incorporate fruits. Seasonal fruits are awaited every year to be turned into easy and simple desserts. Last year I made batches of the yummy Mango Mousse, Mango Cheesecake and Mango Banana Gelato. 
This time I wanted to reinvent the Mango cheesecake and incorporate chunks of the fruit in it. While planning I stumbled upon the idea of using chunks of different coloured fruits. And Voila! here it is my Fruity Cheesecake experiment.
What I loved the most was the attractive colour combination of the fresh and seasonal fruits. You may try any other fruit combination. I always like to use local available ingredients and so my cheesecake has hung curd and Paneer in it. You may use Cream cheese, if easily available at your part of the world. Together with the soft and fresh cheesecake, it surely is now one of my favorite Dessert.

Ingredients : For a 5" round cheesecake

• 4-5 digestive biscuits
• 2 tbsp melted/softened butter
• 1/2 cup hung curd, preferably overnight
• 1/2 cup Paneer, crumbled
• 1/2 cup cream (I used Amul)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp gelatin
• 2 tbsp cold water(to soak the gelatin)
• chopped fruits-I used Mango, Papaya and Kiwi fruit

 

Procedure:
Place the biscuits in a kitchen towel/cloth and crush them with a rolling pin. Gather in a bowl.
Add melted/softened butter and mix well. 
Line a 5" round tin and press the biscuit mixture evenly on the base. Refrigerate to set for 1/2 hour.
(Check here to see details to line a round tin for the cheesecake instead of a springform pan.)
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let it sit for 5 mins till it gets spongy.
Take hung curd, paneer, cream and sugar in a mixer bowl and churn till it gets mixed well.
Pour this mixture in a pan and warm it over low heat. Take care not to boil.
Mix the gelatin and remove from flame.
Mix well so that the gelatin gets dissolved.
Add chopped fruits(reserving some for garnishing)
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit layer.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or till set. 

To remove the cheesecake from tin, heat little water in a wide pan(do not boil). Place the tin in it for a count of ten and remove. Now carefully invert and tap from bottom taking care not to crack the cheesecake. As it begins to loosen, use the hanging liners to pull the cheesecake out(see here)

Garnish with chopped fruits. I used a heart mould in the center and placed the fruits in it to get a heart arrangement of fruits.

 

Slice and serve. Dip knife in warm water to get clean and neat slices.

 

This Fruity Cheesecake is a modern reminder of the amazing, classic and famous dessert Fruit cream.

A perfect summer desert.

Happy Fruity Cheesecake Eating

Amrita

GulabJamun No Bake Cheesecake

 ''A new year is unfolding like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.'' 

- Unknown 

New Year !!
It is the regional New Year time all over India. Celebrated with different names, it basically marks the beginning of the harvest season and arrival of Spring.
It is called Vaisakhi in Punjab which  also marks the birth of Khalsa and is celebrated with lot of fervor. 
Poila Boishakh is celebrated in West Bengal which literally means first day of the first month. An auspicious time for marriages and beginning of all business activities, it is celebrated with traditional dressing and food. 
Vishu is celebrated in Kerala and is marked with Vishukanni which literally means"the first thing seen on the day of Vishu after waking up".
Ugadi is celebrated as New Year's Day in Karnataka and Andhra pradesh. The name Ugadi is derived from the name "Yuga Adi", which means 'the beginning of a new age'

Chaitti in Himachal Pradesh, Mahavishuva Sankrant in Orissa, Navreh in Kashmir, Cheiraoba in Manipur, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Rongali Bihu in Assam are all names of the New Year Celebrations in the different regions of India. 

Unity in Diversity is such an apt example which describes  India's varied cultures.

Recipe Adapted from:Divine Taste suggested by Swetha

Ingredients:For a 5" inch round cheesecake

Crust

• 3-4 Digestive biscuits
• 2-3 tbsp melted butter

Filling

• 8-10 Gulab jamuns, medium sized, drained and slightly squeezed to remove extra syrup
• 1/2 cup Hung curd
• 1 cup Paneer/cottage cheese
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp Gelatin/1 tbsp China grass

Caramel Glaze

• 2 almonds(soaked in water for 2 hours,peeled and slivered finely)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar

Preparation :

Tin: 

Since I wanted to make a smaller quantity, I chose a 5" round tin instead of a Springform tin.

Cut 4 long strips of butter/parchment paper 1" wide. Fold them lengthwise to make them 1/2 " wide. Lay them as shown in Fig.1 and staple from the center. Place it in the tin(Fig 2). These will be used to pull the set cheesecake from the tin.

Cut a 5" circle butter paper for the base and a side strip.

Grease the tin lightly and place the prepared butter paper in the base and sides of tin(Fig 3)

Hung Curd:

Take 1 cup curd and put it in a muslin/cheesecloth. Tie the ends and allow it to hang overnight in the refrigerator(You may try tying it to a spatula and  placing over a bowl)

This will give you roughly 1/2 cup thick curd.

Procedure:

Crust:

Crush biscuits (placed in a kitchen towel/Ziplock)with the help of a rolling pin.

Add melted butter and mix well.

Press onto the base of the prepared tin with the help of the back of a spoon. (Fig 4)

Keep in the refrigerator to set for atleast 1/2 hour.

Filling:

Take 2 tbsp cold water and sprinkle gelatin over it for 5-10 mins or till it gets spongy.

Take hung curd, paneer and sugar in a mixer jar and process till smooth.

Transfer it to a pan and heat it very lightly over low heat. Do not let it boil.(Alternatively, microwave for 10-15 secs) As soon as the mixture is just warm to touch, remove from heat and add the gelatin. Stir well to dissolve the gelatin. 

If using china grass, break it into small pieces and soak in 1/4 cup water for 10 mins till it gets soft. Place it in a pan over low heat and let it dissolve for 5-6 mins, stirring well. Do not let it boil.

Add this to the warm curd and paneer mixture and stir well.

Place 7 pieces of gulabjamuns on the crust(Fig 5)

Pour the cheesecake mixture on the gulabjamuns.

Cut 2 gulabjamuns in half and place them inverted on the top.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to set.

Caramel Glaze:

Take sugar in a pan over low heat and let it cook and dissolve, stirring well. Soon you will notice it will leave water and begin to change colour. Keep stirring and when it dissolves completely becoming brownish in colour, remove from heat and add the slivered almonds. Pour onto the set cheesecake before it gets cold and hardens. Place some almond pieces on the gulab jamuns.

Slice up and serve this yummy 'very Indian' Cheesecake!!

Five days left for our 1st Anniversary and 3 Giveaways to end!!

Sending this recipe to Tangy Minds celebrate 1st Anniversary

 MJ Delights

Hearty and Healthy

Soul Food Show

Happy New Year to all of you!!
Amrita

Brownie bottom Chocolate Cheesecake

Cheesecakes  are  a  rage in the western world and have now entered our desert menus too. Cheesecakes are essentially of two types-Baked and Non
baked. The baked one require eggs whereas the non-baked ones are eggless, set by using gelatin. 

The main component of a cheesecake is, of course, a cheese. Usually it is cream cheese (sometimes ricotta, quark etc). In our country till some years back cheese essentially meant either Processed cheese (Cheddar) or Pizza cheese (Mozzarella). But actually there are various varieties of cheeses, each specific to a country or region.

When I was reading about cheesecakes I began searching where to find cream cheese. The one usually suggested is of a brand called Philadelphia, nowadays available in the International section of supermarkets  but is a bit too expensive . A little more search helped me to understand the Indian name for it, which is "Chenna"(in hindi).  Yes, the one that is used to make those divine ‘Sandesh’ or  the one we mix with some onion and tomato to eat as bhurjee when the milk gets sour and splits!!

Once I zeroed on the main component, it was time to search for a recipe, which I found in Joy of Baking . I have actually compiled two different recipes to come up with my version of the Brownie Bottom Chocolate Cheesecake.

As exotic as they are, cheesecakes are actually very simple to make and turn out very yummy when made at home.

Ingredients

For the brownie base

·         ½  cup butter

·         2 tbsp dark chocolate

·         1 cup sugar(powdered)

·         2 eggs

·         ¼ cup milk

·         1 cup refined flour

·         ½ tsp salt

For the cheesecake

·      3 cups chenna (read note)

·      3 eggs

·      ½ cup hung curd

·      1 cup dark chocolate

·      ¾ cup sugar(powdered)

Note- To make 3 cups of chenna: Boil 2 litres of milk and add either 1 tsp of lemon juice or a pinch of citric acid to split the milk. Drain on a muslin cloth till the water separates. This milky water is Buttermilk which can be used to boil dal or any veggies or added in place of water to make yummy gravies. What remains in the muslin cloth is chenna. Once cool, blend chenna in a mixer to get a smooth consistency. This is Cream cheese.

Always have your ingredients at room temperature before you start baking .

 

Procedure

For the brownie - 

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease and line  9 inch square (or round)baking tin.

Melt chocolate in the microwave for 1 min and add butter by stirring well or melt chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan on very low heat stirring constantly. Let it cool.

Add 1 cup powdered sugar and stir well.

Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until blended. 

Add milk and mix well.

Mix flour and salt and add to the chocolate mixture, until blended.

Spread evenly on the prepared pan and bake for 25 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool.

Note : No baking powder is required for the batter as we do not want a risen cake .

For the cheesecake -

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Melt chocolate in the microwave for 1 min or on a double boiler till melted. Let it cool.

Mix the cream cheese and ¾ cup powdered sugar until blended well.

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until blended.

Blend in hung curd and melted chocolate.

Pour this mixture over the baked brownie and bake for 30-45 mins or until the centre is set.

Let it cool and then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

(Baked cheesecakes are ideally left in the fridge overnight. We obviously could not wait so long, so we devoured the cake within 4 hours of refrigeration!!)

 

A very big thanks to my dewar (brother-in-law) Kushal for taking amazing and mouthwatering pictures of the cake and for being such an inspiration for me to try all the goodies I have been wanting to bake for long time.

            
Happy Cheesecakemaking !!
Amrita