Lots of cheesecake

The youngest daughter of our rabbi is having her bat-mitzvah on Shabbat. Members of the community volunteered to make the desserts that will be served with the lunch. I am one of the volunteers.

I offered to make mini cheesecakes.Cheesecake is relatively easy to make and nearly always tastes like love. If you make it in teeny muffin tins the cheesecakes are irresistible for most people.( So tiny!so adorable! )

Cheesecake is basically a cheese custard. You can use any variety of soft cheese. I have fond, fond memories of a ricotta cheese cake from Montillio's bakery in Quincy, MA. I loved the grainy texture of the ricotta and nearly always include at least some in the mix.

This is the tower of dairy that I used in this batch of cheesecake.

To be fair, I didn't  use all of the cream cheese or all of the sour cream. There were four eggs, the rind and juice of one teeny and one regular sized lemon, vanilla, white and brown sugar ( mostly white) to taste, and  a few shakes of orange bitters.

I had previously made a nut crust. A nut crust is always superior to a regular one in a cheesecake. Pecans are extra delicious with cheese so I made the crust with pecans.  I made the crust in the food processor and left it to cool in the fridge.

The muffin tins all got lined,

and then I put a small plop of crust on each one and mushed them into shape and baked them for ten minutes before pouring the cheese filling onto the crusts.

To stay clean, I wore the apron my mother made in her 8th grade Home Ec class.

I remember my mother showing me this apron when I was a little girl. I remember that my mother hated this project. I think she made the apron for her mother who typically of my grandmother, never wore it. This apron was probably made in 1942.  I am the first person to wear it. I love that it immediately makes me look like a battleaxe of a woman. 

I will make sure to wear it if I have to be mean to someone. If you need me to scold someone severely I will wear the apron and carry a rolling pin. That person will be well scolded. 

Because I was cooking with a recipe in my head and my muffin tin is new, I ended up with way too much cheese custard and way too much crust.

I made the leftovers into chocolate cheesecake which I drizzled with white chocolate.

 The regular cheesecake got drizzled with dark chocolate.

I not only wear my mother's apron but I learned from my mother about the importance of nice food presentation. The chocolate cheesecake got cut into tiny squares and put into little fluted papers.

Tomorrow the stack of cheesecake will be delivered to my synagogue. If you don't eat nuts, gluten dairy or sugar, don't eat these and leave them for the people who do.