White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Growing up I only ate white chocolate when it was brought as a gift by relatives visiting from London.  I remember with special fondness Toblerone white chocolate bars with honey and almond nougat which were savored one or two ‘triangles’ at a time.  As far as I can tell, white chocolate appears to be more popular in Europe than North America.

Despite its light color, white chocolate contains cocoa butter, the pale yellow vegetable fat extracted from cocoa beans.  It does not include the low-fat cocoa solids – that contain minerals, flavonols, caffeine, and theobromine – which give regular chocolate its characteristic brown hue.

The United States, Canada, and the European Union require true white chocolate to contain at least 20% cocoa butter or fat.  However, much of what is sold as white chocolate contains no cocoa butter at all.  Some manufacturers pass off a confection made of sugar, milk powder, and hydrogenated vegetable oil (from non-cocoa sources) as white chocolate.  This is what most white chocolate chips are made from.

Besides a 2008 guest post of my friend Sarah, this is the first Treat a Week recipe I have made with white chocolate.  This early summer cheesecake benefited from the strawberry season which was at its peak in early June.

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 to 6 tablespoons strawberry or vanilla yogurt (reduced fat acceptable)

10 tablespoons strawberry preserve (add water if necessary), slightly microwaved

9 ounces white chocolate (equivalent to 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips)

1/4 cup milk (whole or reduced fat)

24 ounces cream cheese, softened (full or reduced fat, or a combination)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, 3 tablespoons sugar, and yogurt.  Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper.

2.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325F.

3.  On stovetop or in microwave melt white chocolate with milk, checking frequently and stirring until smooth.

4.  In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate/milk mixture.

5.  Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons of strawberry sauce over the batter.  Pour remaining batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons of strawberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

5.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the center is almost set.  Keep cheesecake in the oven with the heat turned off for an 30-60 additional minutes.  Cool at room temperature for 2 hours, cover with foil, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan.

6.  To remove cheesecake, slide butter knife around the edge of the pan.  Gently release springform pan.

7.  Top with halved strawberries in concentric circles.  Brush strawberries with remaining strawberry preserve and/or serve strawberry preserve on the side.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This dessert is the marriage of two of my favorite Thanksgiving treats – pumpkin pie and cheesecake. It combines evocative pumpkin pie filling and fragrant fall spices with rich and satisfying cheesecake. It’s the perfect antidote for people who have overdosed on traditional desserts.

This is the third pumpkin pie featured on this blog – click here for coconut and cayenne variations. It is also the sixth cheesecake I’ve presented – check out these peach, blueberry, lemon, berry, and almond mascarpone versions.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Filling
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin filling
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 

2. To make crust, in a large bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.

3. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, pack the crumb mixture so that it evenly covers the bottom and sides of a 9-inch metal pie tin.

4. In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.

5. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well mixed.

6. Set aside 1/3 of the mixture in a small bowl.

7. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and mix with a wooden spoon.

8. Spoon pumpkin batter into base. Dot with dollops of reserved plain batter.

9. Using a butter knife, gently mix the plain batter into the pumpkin batter to create a swirl effect. Be careful not to disturb the crumb base.

10. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the batter has set.

11. Cool at room temperature and refrigerate at least four hours before serving.

Peach Cheesecake

Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits. Although they originated in China, Europeans originally thought the peach tree was from Persia which explains the scientific name Prunus persica which later became ‘peach’. From China the peach was taken to India and Western Asia, then by Alexander the Great to Persia. After that, it travelled to the Americas, Northern Europe and finally to the North American colonies in the 17th century.

Interestingly, peaches and nectarines are different cultivars of the same species. Those with white flesh are sweeter and more prized in East Asia; the more acidic, yellow-flesh cultivars are popular in Europe and North America. Peaches are closely related to plums, cherries, apricots and almonds; and within the larger Rosaceae family to roses, apples, pears, strawberries and raspberries.

Although California produces 65% of the peaches in the United States, in my mind the fruit is most closely associated with Georgia, the ‘Peach State’. Over the summer, when we were invited to dinner at the home of a friend originally from Georgia, I used the opportunity to create this peach dessert.


Serves 6


Ingredients

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar

Filling
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam/preserve
1-2 peaches, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. To make crust, in a large bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar.
3. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, pack the crumb mixture so that it evenly covers the bottom and sides of a 9-inch metal pie tin.
4. To make filling, in another large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and eggs until smooth. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the surface is very light brown. Let the cheesecake cool for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
5. Once cooled, gently spread jam/preserve on top of the cheesecake. Arrange peach slices on top. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pudding

I went to a farmer’s market earlier this summer and bought four pints of locally grown blueberries. I no longer have the time to wax lyrical about blueberries but you can read all about them on a previous post.

I had originally planned on making a pie, but then remembered that my friend Joe had long ago given me a blueberry recipe from his grandmother. This dessert is an adaptation of that recipe. Her version uses amaretto and vanilla wafers. I’ve replaced those ingredients, reduced the sugar, and given a few healthier ingredient options.

I took this to a dinner party a few weeks ago and it was a great hit. Be warned – ten hungry New Yorkers did not make much of a dent in this massive dish, but it's ideal for parties, potlucks and barbeques.

14-18 servings

Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese (reduced fat acceptable), at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract
2 packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups of milk (low fat or skim acceptable)
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 to 5 cups blueberries (fresh or thawed frozen)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar and butter and press into a greased 13 x 9 deep glass baking dish.
3. Place eggs, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and extract in a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour and spread over crust. Bake for 30 minutes or until cream cheese is set. Remove and cool to room temperature.
4. In a separate bowl, mix both packets of instant pudding with milk and beat for 2 minutes until mixture thickens. Spread over cream cheese and chill.
5. In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and cornstarch. Add some liquid (water, juice, alcohol) if necessary. Mix in blueberries and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly and gently until mixture thickens and becomes dark. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
6. Spread over pudding layer and chill overnight.
7. Scoop out portions with a large spoon and serve in a bowl.

Coconut Pumpkin Pie

As avid readers of Treat a Week have noted, coconut is one of my favorite ingredients. It has made appearances in curries, cakes and bars among other recipes on his blog. However, I’ve never written about coconuts, so I figured Thanksgiving is as good a time as any.

Coconuts palm trees are thought to have originated in South Asia, though some authorities believe that they developed in northwestern South America. Through the dispersal of coconuts (which serve as seeds) in ocean waters and human cultivation, coconut palms are now found throughout the tropics. They require wet, warm, humid and sunny climates; they also do well in sandy and saline environments. The largest coconut producers in the world are Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Brazil and Thailand.

Several food products are derived from coconuts. Coconut water is the sterile fluid in the cavity of the fruit and is often consumed as a refreshing beverage. Coconut meat, the fleshly part of the nut, can be eaten fresh or dried. The flesh can also be processed with hot water or milk to produce coconut milk. Refrigerated coconut milk separates and the non-liquid portion that rises to the top is coconut cream, which is used primarily in sweet dishes such as piña coladas. Several other culinary products can be produced from coconut palm trees – flower cluster sap can be fermented to produce palm wine, coconut nectar is extracted from young buds, coconut sprout is found in newly germinated coconuts, and heart-of-palm is extracted from the inner core of the tree.

This variation on quintessential pumpkin pie is based on a recipe by my friend Elliot, a former restaurateur in Seattle. I use shredded coconut meat in the crust and coconut cream in the filling, which gives it a rich and tropical flavor. The lime zest adds freshness and another layer of complexity.

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded, desiccated coconut (Asian markets are the best place to find this)
1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
OR
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Filling:
3 eggs, lightly beaten or egg substitute
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
8 to 12 oz cream of coconut (I use Coco Lopez brand) – make it as rich as you would like
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of one lime

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. If you are making a crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sugar and butter. Using the back of a spoon or your hands, pat the mixture along the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. I find that a metal dish works best (sometimes the crust gets stuck to a glass dish).
3. In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Pour into the piecrust.
4. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until the center is set (should not jiggle when shaken slightly). If the pie starts to brown, reduce the temperature to 275F and bake until set.
5. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Serve the next day – chilled or at room temperature. You can decorate it with whipped cream and serve more on the side.

Berry Cheesecake

In the United States, Memorial Day weekend marks the social beginning of summer (as opposed to the calendar start on June 21). One of the most delicious pleasures of the season is fresh fruit. My favorites include watermelon, peaches, and berries, which were featured in last week’s muffin recipe.

This week, I’ve decided to go back-to-back with another berry recipe. For this cheesecake, you can use one of several types of berries, or a combination. However, I favor blackberries, a generic term which describes several hundred species of dark red, purple or black berries native to the cooler climates of the Northern hemisphere. The berries can also be found in Australia, New Zealand and Chile where they are often considered invasive weed species. Oregon has the distinction of producing more blackberries than any other region in the world.

The earliest indication of blackberry consumption comes from forensic evidence from a 2500-year old Danish “mummy” discovered in a peat bog in the nineteenth century. These fruit contain high levels of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and manganese. Blackberries are used extensively in cooking, especially in the production of jams, cakes and pies. The fruit is sometimes used to make sauces to marinate or glaze pork, chicken or beef.

In modern life, the word 'blackberry' more often refers to a wireless handheld device than the fruit. So named because of its dark color and a keypad that resembles a collection of seeds, the ubiquitous gadget is so addictive to users that it has been nicknamed the crackberry.

Serves 8

Ingredients
Crust
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar

Filling
1 lb cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs

Topping
4 pints berries (whole blackberries, whole raspberries and/or quartered strawberries), washed and at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 F. If using a 10-inch springform pan, use the ingredient list above. If you don’t have a springform pan, make cheesecake in a 9-inch metal pie tin but use HALF of ALL the ingredients.
2. To make crust, in a large bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar.
3. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, pack the crumb mixture so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. If using a pie tin, make sure there is crust on the sides as well as the bottom.
4. To make filling, in a large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and eggs until smooth. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the surface is very light brown. Let the cheesecake cool for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
5. In another bowl, toss the berries, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon onto the warm cheesecake and serve immediately. You can also chill cheesecake in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Either way, place berries on the cheesecake just before serving.

Black and Brown Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving, like many holidays around the world, involves celebration through feasting. For me, these occasions (and many others) center around dessert. What I appreciate about Thanksgiving is that the desserts, like the holiday, are natural, simple and rustic. The focus is on fall harvest ingredients like pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Pecans also fall into this category with a traditional mid-October harvest.

Pecans are indigenous to the United States and Mexico. The name is derived from an Algonquin word meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. They first came to European attention in the 1600s and were long a delicacy in colonial America. Domestic cultivation did not begin until the 1880s and today the U.S. accounts for over 80% of international production which exceeds 150,000 tons. Georgia leads the nation in terms of pecan production, and is followed by Texas (where it is the state tree), New Mexico and Oklahoma. Pecan trees grow up to 145 feet and can live for 300 years.

Pecan pie is made primarily from corn syrup and pecans. Some claim it was invented by the French in New Orleans, though no recipes of it appear in print prior to 1925. The dish became popularized by the makers of Karo syrup, America’s most popular brand of corn syrup. The company claims that the pie was invented by the wife of a sales executive. Regardless of its origin, it has become an American classic. This is a wonderful and sinful twist on the original. Pecan pie is also a great and easy Christmas dessert.

Serves 8-12

Ingredients
1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade (store in refrigerator overnight)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup or Golden syrup
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove pie crust from the fridge. Allow to warm slightly or it will crack during preparation.
2. In a large bowl, microwave butter and peanut butter until soft, about 1 minute.
3. Add corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust until it is 10-11 inches in diameter. Draping it over the rolling pin, transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
6. Pour mixture into crust-lined pan. Crimp the pie crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is set.
7. Cool to room temperature before serving. For a gooey pie, serve at room temperature; for a firmer pie, cool in refrigerator overnight and serve cold. Can be served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.

Maine Blueberry Crumble Pie

I was in Maine in July, which is officially National Blueberry Month in both the United States and Canada. On the culinary front, Maine is well-known for its agricultural and seafood bounty, but especially for lobster, maple syrup and blueberries. The state produces 25% of the blueberries sold in North America, making it the largest blueberry producer in the world.

Blueberries are native to North America and there are two types – “lowbush” blueberries which are smaller (and are often called “wild”) and “highbush” blueberries which are typically larger. In the last few years, blueberries have been marketed as health-promoting and disease-preventing because of high levels of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. Bluberries contain various antioxidant pigments and phytochemicals that may have anti-cancer properties and may also play a role in reducing inflammation, reducing cognitive decline during Alzheimer’s disease, and lowering cholesterol.

As you can imagine, blueberry pie (and many other creative concoctions) were on menus everywhere in Maine. This recipe is inspired by a slice I had at a restaurant in Bar Harbor. The top crust is replaced with a crumble mixture (which uses less butter but more sugar).

Serves 8

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , chilled
4-6 tablespoons ice water or chilled orange juice

Filling
5 cups blueberries (about 2 1/2 pints), washed and dried

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

half lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

Topping

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled

Directions
1. To make the crust, in a large bowl mix flour, salt and sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and toss into flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, food processor or two butter knives, mix butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of water or orange juice to the mixture, and with a wooden spoon start to gather the dough. Add more liquid as needed.
3. Once the dough has come together, place it onto a cool, floured surface and knead a few times. Roll into an 11-inch circle. Drape pie crust onto rolling pin to gently transfer it to a metal pie tin. Fold any crust hanging over the edge onto the tin rim, and use your thumb and forefinger to create a scalloped pattern. Put it into the refrigerator or freezer while preparing the filling.
4. I usually double the pie crust recipe. An extra pie crust should be left in a flattened disk (not rolled out), covered in saran wrap, placed inside a Ziplock bag, and frozen immediately. To thaw, place frozen dough into the refrigerator overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
6. To make the filling, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl that you used to make the pie crust) and pour into the pie crust.
7. To make the topping, in a small bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture. Pour the mixture evenly over the blueberries.
8. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes or until the berries are bubbling and the crumble mixture has browned. Check the pie after 30 minutes. If you think the crumble is burning, you can shield it by lightly covering it with foil.
9. Remove the pie and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. It will still be slightly warm if you serve it two hours later. Best served with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

On my last blog post before Aly’s return, I have selected a classic summer treat: strawberry rhubarb pie. Yes, I know I promised authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, but I was swept away by long, ruby red stalks of rhubarb and juicy strawberries in their natural, non-genetically modified state. As much as I am a pre-planner—and I am—I decided to let the ingredients drive my cooking. Seeing farm-to-market fresh produce reminded me (in an excruciatingly mouth-watering way) why cooking can be so vibrant, creative, and plain fun. After buying two pounds of rhubarb, two pints of strawberries, a bag of hand-picked oranges, and a handful of lemons, I headed home to give it all a new life form. Rhubarb is an ancient and quite versatile plant; the stalks, with their bitter taste, complement sweet fruits; the roots function as a laxative; and the leaves, well, should be avoided because they are poisonous. The earliest evidence of rhubarb comes from 2700 BC in China where rhubarb was used for medicinal purposes. Europeans took note of rhubarb after Marco Palo’s travels through China. In 1777, a British horticulturalist near Oxford was the first in Europe to mass cultivate the plant and his rhubarb farm is apparently still in existence today.

My rhubarb came from a small farm in East Palo Alto, California. As a former resident of the Palo Alto area, there was a nice symmetry in seeing my Oxford and California lives intertwine. I brought in a bit of my childhood by making my mothers’ famous orange pie crust (hint: orange juice is used instead of ice water). Once the crust is made, the rest is as simple to make as, well…pie. The fresh fruits are combined with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and allowed to marinate for a bit before being zapped into a gooey, yummy paste in the oven. The result is a culinary yin-yang: tart bits of fruit encased in strawberry goodness. Enjoy the quintessential summer flavor, and thanks for indulging me in cooking fun these last three weeks!

Pie Crust
· 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
· 1 cup of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
· 1 teaspoon salt
· ½ teaspoon of sugar
· 1 teaspoon of orange zest
· 5 tablespoons of very cold orange juice

Directions
1. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and zest in a large bowl. Add the unsalted butter cut in cubes and using two knives ‘cut’ the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas.
2. Add the orange juice and stir using a fork. Add more juice or flour, as needed, until the mixture yields two round balls of dough.
3. Wrap the dough balls in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator and roll out onto parchment paper covered in flour.
5. Place one rolled out piece into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Save the second rolled out piece for the top crust.

Filling

· 2 cups chopped rhubarb
· 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
· 1 cup of sugar
· 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
· 1 tablespoon flour
· 1 teaspoon lemon zest
· ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 2 tablespoons butter, cubed small
· 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, zest, juice, cinnamon, and extract. Carefully mix the ingredients together and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into the pie pan and add the cubed butter.
4. Place the top crust on the pie, using a fork to poke holes into it and to crimp the sides together.
5. Brush on the egg white and sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon.
6. Place the pie on a baking tray and put into the oven at 425 F for 15 minutes.
7. Decrease the heat to 375 F and bake for another 45-50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
8. Let sit for at least thirty minutes before cutting. The longer you wait, the more set the pie will become.

Passionfruit Tart

On a recent trip to London I met my friends Nadia, Kristina and Catherine for a bottle of wine in the Members Room of the Tate Modern, followed by a fascinating Louise Bourgeois retrospective. Afterwards, we went to a funky restaurant, benugo bar and kitchen, tucked away inside the British Film Institute. Our delicious meal ended with a luscious passionfruit tart. Since we were reconvening for a dinner party the following night, I decided to attempt to reverse engineer the tart.

I must admit I had never seen a passionfruit before (that's it in the photo above). There are two main types, the bright yellow variety has a smooth rind and is the size of a grapefruit and the purple variety (which I used) has a tough wrinkly skin and is the size of an egg. Both are native to Latin America, and are now widely grown in Australia, South and East Africa, the Caribbean, Indonesia, Hawaii and other tropical places.

To my surprise, the name does not come from the passion inspired by this heavenly fruit, but because the structure of the passionflower (below) reminded early Spanish explorers of symbols associated with the Passion of Christ. Specifically, the radial filaments (which vary in number from flower to flower) represent the Crown of Thorns, the ten petals and sepals represent the apostles, the top three stigmata represent the three nails and the lower anthers represent the five wounds.

The tart was tasty but not nearly as flavorful as the original. I suspect the restaurant uses fresh passionfruit pulp or passionatefruit concentrate. As you can see from the photos, I got involved in a great conversation and left the tart in the oven just a little too long. Luckily, it was rescued with only first degree burns, which made it look like a cheese pizza. Ultimately, the tart was well enjoyed since my dinner companions were too polite (and possibly too inebriated) to be critical.


Serves 8

Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1 1/2 tins sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces each)
6 egg yolks
1 cup passionfruit juice (use fresh passionfruit pulp or passionfruit concentrate if available)

Coulis
8 passionfruits
4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Directions
1. Mix flour, salt and sugar.
2. Cut butter into small pieces and blend with flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and water and roll into a ball. Flatten, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 F.
4. Roll dough until it is 12 inches in diameter and lay in a 10-inch tart pan.
5. Bake blind for 15 minutes and cool.
6. Mix condensed milk and egg yolks. Add passionfruit juice and mix well.
7. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 hour or overnight.
8. Make passionfruit coulis by mixing passionfruit pulp and seeds and confectioner’s sugar.
9. Serve tart with coulis and whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Almond Mascarpone Crusted Cheesecake

I am back from holiday and thrilled to share this delicious cheesecake that I created for Christmas dinner. Less heavy than Christmas pudding or mince pies, this Italian-inspired dessert is light but satisfying.

The primary ingredient is mascarpone, a soft, thick, rich (fat content between 40-75%) ‘cream cheese’ that most of us know as a key ingredient of tiramisu. It originated in the 17th century in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, where it is made from cow’s milk cream. Technically, mascarpone is not a cheese at all, but the product of cream treated with acid, much like clotted cream. It has a slightly sweet and fresh taste, and is commonly used in desserts such as cheesecakes, cakes and as an accompaniment to fresh or cooked fruit. In Italy it is often used in savory dishes – as a base for spread or dip, thickener for soup or risotto, and enrichment for pasta or roasted vegetables. I’ve featured mascarpone in a summer zucchini soup; I also enjoy it on French toast.

There has been much controversy about the origin of the word ‘mascarpone’. It may derive from mascarpia, the word for ricotta cheese in the local dialect or from mascarpa, a milk product made from the whey of stracchino. Others describe it as a derivation of mas que bueno (Spanish for “better than good”) which may have taken hold during Spanish occupation of Lombardy between the 16th and 18th centuries. Others maintain that the name come from Cascina Mascherpa, a family farmhouse located halfway between Milan and Pavia. Whatever the origin, the word is often mispronounced as maRscapone.

I’m a huge fan of thick crusts, but you can certainly use 1/2 to 2/3 of the recipe if you prefer something more delicate. You can use any kind of preserve, but something with visible fruit chunks works best. I used a jar of cinnamon melon jam that I’d purchased in France two summers ago, at a small shop that I mentioned in a previous post (featuring hamantaschen cookies).

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk
up to 2 tablespoons cold water (optional)

Filling:
10-ounces cream cheese (reduced fat acceptable), room temperature
1 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
1 cup jam or preserve, homemade or chunky preferred

2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
confectioner’s sugar (optional)

Directions
1. To make crust mix flour, almond meal, salt and sugar. Add butter and blend in a food processor, with a pastry blender, between two knives or with your hands. Work quickly so the butter does not get warm.
2. Add an egg yolk and mix well. Gather dough into a ball. You may need to add some water to bring the dough together.
3. Press crust into the bottom and along sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. If crust is too soft to work with, chill for 15-30 minutes.
4. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 400F.
6. Pierce crust all over with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is light brown. If it bakes too long it will become hard and brittle. If the crust begins to bubble, press with the back of a fork. Cool to room temperature. [see photo below]

7. To make the filling, beat together cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar, honey, almond extract and cardamom and pour into cooled tart shell. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. Spread jam evenly over filling. Chill until ready to serve. Top with almonds and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Traditional Apple Pie

The person who coined the term “easy as pie” must have had a difficult life. Pie is not hard, per se, but it is not easy either. Pie crust can be labor intensive unless you have a food processor or commit the mortal sin of using your hands (as I sometimes do). Apple pie is especially time consuming because it requires a lot of peeling and slicing. Don’t let this deter you, however, since there is almost nothing as attractive as a freshly baked apple pie.

As children we often ate Mrs. Smith's brand frozen apple pie which, if memory serves, was fairly good. Once in a while we would make an apple pie from scratch. Apples are plentiful in the fall and winter, which make apple pies ideal for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are certainly more attractive than the more traditional Thanksgiving options - plain pecan pie and the downright ugly pumpkin pie. On the other hand, they do not require the advance planning necessary for fruitcake or the ridiculous labor demanded by the Bûche de Noël.

Apple pies have been popular in Europe for centuries. This English recipe dates to 1381 and calls for a mixture of apples, figs, pears, raisins, spices and saffron in a pastry casing. Apple pies only became common in the United States in the eighteenth century, and so the saying "as American as apple pie" is likely to be a patriotic myth manufactured to sell more apples.

I made this pie from apples that grew on Norham Gardens, a leafy street in North Oxford. A gardener had placed them in a crate for passersby to take away, and I never refuse natural (and free) ingredients.


Serves 8-12

Ingredients

2 pie crusts
1 lemon, all zest and juice
12 apples, peeled and cored
3/4 cup granulated or caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of cloves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg (optional)

Directions
1. Place lemon zest and juice into a large bowl.
2. Peel and core the apples (cut lengthwise into eight wedges). Any kind of apple will do, but using a mixture is a good idea. Tart Granny Smith apples are ideal for pie. Coring can take a long time, so if you bake a lot invest in an apple corer. Cut wedges into slices about 1/4 inch thick and place into a large bowl, coating with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
3. Preheat oven to 425F. Add the sugar, spices and flour and mix well.
4. Remove pie crusts from the fridge. Allow to warm slightly or they will crack during preparation. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie crust until it is 10-11 inches in diameter. Draping it over the rolling pin, transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
5. Place apple mixture in the crust. Apples will reduce in volume during baking so do not worry if they appear to be piled very high. Dot with butter.

6. Roll out the other pie crust to between 11-12 inches and place on top of the pie. Trim top or bottom crust if necessary. Tuck edges under the bottom crust and crimp and flute to seal. This will prevent the juices from bubbling through during baking. Cut several 1-inch slits into the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.

7. If you have any extra scraps of dough, shape them into leaves. Score the pastry to create the leaf stem and vein. You can also create other shapes such as animals or letters. Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it over the pie. The egg wash will impart a rich brown color during baking.
8. Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any juices and to make it easier to remove from the oven. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for another 25 minutes. Check the pie regularly to make sure it is not burning. If the top crust begins to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
9. Allow the pie to cool before serving with ice cream, whipped cream or custard. It can also be served with Cheshire or Cheddar cheese.

Cayenne Pumpkin Pie

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I had pumpkin pie for two of my meals on Monday. Breakfast was leftover sweet pumpkin pie that I had made for an American Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday night. Lunch was a savory pumpkin and poppyseed tart at Gee’s, where I dined with my friend Janet.

Pumpkin is a type of fruit indigenous to the Western hemisphere. Seeds dated as far back as 7000BC have been found in Mexico. The word has its origins in Greek as pepon (meaning "large melon"), and through adaptations in France, England and America has come to be known as pumpkin. Native Americans have long consumed pumpkin flesh and have also used its skin to weave mats.

Pumpkin pie is thought to have originated with the practice of cooking pumpkins by removing the seeds, filling them with milk and spices, and baking them in the hot ashes of a dying fire. It is now a staple of Canadian and American Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ve included cayenne in this version to provide some contrast to the sweetness of the condensed milk and spices.


Serves 8-12

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

OR

1 prepared graham cracker crust

Filling:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 pinches cayenne

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. If you are making a crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Using your hands, pat the mixture along the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. I find that a metal dish works best (sometimes the crust gets stuck to a glass dish). Bake at 350 F degrees for 5 to 7 minutes and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Pour into the piecrust.
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until set. Reduce the temperature if the pie starts to brown.
5. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

I’m actually surprised that this is the first cheesecake recipe I've posted. I was introduced to this dessert as a child. My mom made a simple, tart cheesecake with a thick graham cracker crust. She usually decorated it with canned mandarin orange slices, and I was sometimes given the task of arranging the slices in a pretty pattern.

When I came to the U.S. I discovered many more types of cheesecake. America seems to have an obsession with the dessert, though this may be fueled by Kraft’s aggressive advertising of it's Philadelphia creamcheese. The first mention of cheesecake is found in Cato the Elder's farming manual De Agri Cultura (circa 160 BC).

These mini cheesecakes are incredibly easy and ideal for parties. You can make them several days in advance and decorate them the day they are served.

Makes 12 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients
storebought gingersnap or ginger cookie
12 - 16 ounces cream cheese (depending on how rich you like it), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon zest (can substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 cups sour cream or 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar to taste (optional)
1 pint raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or a combination of these

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Place a cookie in the bottom of each liner to form the cheesecake base. Make sure the cookie fits snugly, otherwise it may float to the top during baking.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs and zest. Mix well.
4. Divide batter into muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake is set in the middle and just turning brown.
5. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.
6. To serve top with 2 tablespoons sour cream or whipped cream and garnish with berries. You can add cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar to either sour cream or whipped cream for a hint of chocolate.

Mango Ginger Pavlova

I am back from a glorious trip to Tuscany and the Italian Riviera (will post photos soon for those that are interested). I am confident that reflection on the many delicious things I ate will provide inspiration for new recipes. I am now living between Manhattan and Oxford for the next few years and I hope to bring you even more food from Europe.

Summer was officially over a month ago, but I didn’t have time to blog about this lovely pavlova I made for a dinner party in early September. I hope you will indulge this last wisp of summer scrumptiousness which I had promised in an earlier posting for meringue cookies.

A pavlova is a meringue topped with cream and fruit. Like a number of Antipodal treats, including Anzac biscuits, there is some controversy about its origin. What is clear is that the dessert is named for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (pictured above - can you see the similarity?), and is said to have been created by a Kiwi chef during the dancer’s 1926 visit to Wellington. The Australians dispute this, though the earliest known reference is in a 1929 New Zealand magazine.

Like many good things from the colonies, the British have fallen in love with and popularized the pavlova. My introduction a decade ago occurred in Cheshire, England at the home of my friend Marilla (who now happens to live in New Zealand). And last week my friend Emily invited me over for dinner and served a spicy Thai curry followed by mini pavlovas (store-bought meringue called a “meringue nest” topped with Greek yogurt and her mother’s rhubarb and peach purée).


Serves 6

Ingredients
6 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup candied ginger, finely diced

1 large mango, diced
1 pint blueberries, washed and dried
1 pint raspberries, washed and dried


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar slowly and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.

3. Spoon mixture onto parchment paper creating a 12 inch circle with a slight, broad depression in the center (see photo above).

4. Bake for 90 minutes. Leave meringue in closed oven for a further 120 minutes. The meringue should not darken. If it does, the heat should be reduced to 150 or 175F (see photo above).
5. Carefully fold cardamom and ginger into whipped cream and spoon the mixture onto the cooled meringue.
6. Decorate pavlova with mango, blueberries and raspberries. You can use many types of fruit. Kiwi fruit, passionfruit and strawberries are popular.

Miniature Key Lime Pies

Although it was only four days long in the U.S., this work week has been exhausting. Many friends are in school or have children in school. I was pleased to see photos of my friend Kiki’s children starting pre-school and kindergarten, and hear about the ambivalence of my colleagues Erika and Valerie as their children transitioned into new routines.

Although summer is not technically over, it feels like it is. To keep the autumn at bay, I decided to make miniature key lime pies. They turned out fairly well, although they were slightly overcooked. Also the cookie base did not remain firm during baking. If anyone finds an especially suitable cookie brand, please let me know. Despite the softness of these pies, they garnered strong reviews.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I use green food color, especially since naturally ripened key limes are actually yellow. Nevertheless, in this country lime is synonymous with green.

The ubiquitous green limes we know are actually known as Persian limes (the word lime comes from the Persian word limu). Key limes are smaller than Persian limes and are more tart, bitter, acidic and aromatic.

They are native to Southeast Asia and came to the New World via the Middle East, then travelled to Sicily, Andalusia, the Caribbean and Florida. A hurricane in 1926 significantly destroyed the U.S. key lime crop, allowing the Persian variety to gain prominence. Thereafter, the term “Key” was added, since the limes were primarily available in the Florida Keys.

Makes 18 key lime pies

Ingredients
2 tins condensed milk (14 ounces each)
6 egg yolks
1 cup key lime juice, freshly squeezed or from a bottle
zest of one Persian lime
4 drops green food color (optional)
18 cookies

whipped cream, for garnish
Persian lime wedges, for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk and egg yolks. Incorporate key lime juice and zest.
3. If using, add one drop of food color at a time, and mix thoroughly before adding the next drop.
4. Place foil liners in a muffin pan and put a cookie in each one. The cookies should be the same diameter as the base of the liners. Select cookies that are dense, thick and crisp. I use gingersnaps.
5. Fill each liner with batter.
6. Bake at 350 F for 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake or the edges will become chewy.
7. Cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate overnight.
8. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a lime wedge.

Bittersweet Mocha Silk Pie

This is the first pie recipe I have made that is actually “easy as pie” – cleaning up takes more time than making the dessert - and it receives rave reviews for being rich, creamy and very chocolatey.

The secret is that this recipe is known to vegans worldwide, but has not made it into the omnivorous domain. It may have to do with how it has been branded – primarily as chocolate tofu pie. As a former vegetarian, I know that once you identify something as vegetarian or vegan, omnivores will look the other way (if they are polite) and run like hell (if they are not). I call this phenomenon veg-phobia.

I was introduced to this recipe by my friend Cathy who lives in Seattle. Her husband doesn’t eat dairy and she raved about this pie as quick fix. I have adapted her recipe by substituting coffee for alcohol.

The consumers of this pie gave it two thumbs up.


Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
OR
1 prepared graham cracker crust (or vegan equivalent)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan equivalent)
1 pound silken tofu, drained
2 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

Directions
1. If you are making a crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Using your hands, pat mixture along the bottom and sides of a pie dish. Bake at 350 F degrees for 5 to 7 minutes and set aside.
2. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave.
3. In a blender, liquefy tofu, sweetener, coffee and melted chocolate chips.
4. Pour into crust and refrigerate or freeze for 3 or more hours. Serve chilled.

You will likely find yourself with extra filling. Pour it into ramekins or small bowls – an ideal dessert for one or two people, especially for the gluten-allergic people in your life. You could also pour the entire pie filling into a glass bowl and serve it as rich chocolate pudding.