The Scientology of Cheese cake

Good afternoon

So after taking a break I am back.

For the last few weeks I have been cooking for what felt like thousands of  people (and it wasn't I know). Here is my kick off recipe to get us back on track.

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An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura includes recipes for two cakes for religious uses: Libum and Placenta.(Did he also write the book on Scientology giving his food that name????) Of the two, Placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked. It is important to note that though these early forms are called cheese cakes, they differed greatly in taste and consistency from the cheesecake that we know today.

Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently. In 1912, James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese. Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark in 1928, and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake. (And we all love Philadelphia cream cheese soooooooo much I’d even cook Placenta with it.)

Here is a modern day Cheese Cake….. Hope you enjoy

Vanilla & Citrus cheesecake

Makes 14 servings

For the crust:-
Quick cook oats – 1 cup
Graham cracker crumbs – 2 cups
Butter, unsalted – 13 tbsps

For the filling:-
Cream Cheese – 24 oz, softened
Lemon – 1, zest and juiced
Orange – 1, zest
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Sugar, superfine  – 3/4 cup
Heavy cream – 1 1/4 cup

For the topping:-
Blackberries – 4 cups
Sugar, superfine – 1/4 cup
Liqueur (St. Germain or Cointreau) – 2 tsps

- Butter a 9″ springform baking pan lightly and set aside.

- Heat a skillet on medium low. Add the quick cook oats to it and toast until a darkish brown.

- Cut the butter into cubes and add along with the graham crackers to the toasted oats. Stir until combined. Move off heat.

- Pour the graham cracker-oats mixture into the baking pan and spread over the base of the pan. Press in with your fingers to compact it into a crust. Place in the refrigerator to chill and set for about an hour.

- In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla essence, lemon and orange zests, lemon juice and sugar in the filling section. Stir together until incorporated and a smooth mixture.

- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it just holds soft peaks. Fold half the cream into the cream cheese mixture until thoroughly mixed. Then gently fold in the other half.

- Pull the baking pan out of the fridge and spoon the filling over the cold and set crust. Smooth out the filling into the pan gently with a spatula. Move back into the fridge to set for another 45 to 60 minutes,

- Put the berries and sugar reserved for topping in a bowl and mix together by crushing the fruit with your hand. When you have a rough syrup consistency, add the liqueur.

Pour the fruit over the cheesecake before serving.