food Archives - Page 8 of 11 - Studio Sixty Photography

Many of you may not know this about me but I am addicted to cheesecake. It is one of those addictions that allows me to function fully in my everyday life and almost everyone I know would be none the wiser that I have this serious problem. I am lucky that there are no outward signs, no trembling hands, no dilated pupils, no incoherent speech. But, trust me, it is a very real and dangerous addiction. Mark my words. It started with the cookie-cutter cheesecakes of my youth – all loud with cream cheese, lemon, sour cream and almost unbreakable biscuit base. These cheesecakes – they took no prisioners. I was a goner from the first bite. Like a moth to a flame, as my taste developed so too did my need for more adventure – the addition of sour cream, a ginger nut base, fruit or chocolate adornment – nothing could stop me. Scanning menus at restaurants, peering into glass cabinets – I was the one who would suggest dessert, offering to share without really meaning it, I would bully my companion – just order the cheesecake, I would say. “You’re allergic to dairy? Oh well, more for me.” Like all addictions, it crept up on me. Soon I was driving kilometres out of my way to have that great cheesecake, almost weeping if it wasn’t available. Sometime during the 90s I made a break – I’m not sure how but now it is back with a vengeance. I blame this wholly on Pearl Cafe in Woolloongabba. Their cheesecake – whoa nelly – is it good! Smooth, light, not too rich, room temperature, soft crispy base – it is, hands down, the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. And I have eaten A LOT. It has become my Friday treat – a slice of this amazing cheesecake and a Genovese coffee – what a way to start the weekend!! I have been scouring the earth for a recipe that comes close to the beauty of this cheesecake and I think I have it nailed. I am hoping, praying, that by making it myself my laziness will manage to curb my addiction. I know what you are thinking – I am just fooling myself. Tis true.

Cheesecake

Packet of good quality Anzac biscuits or 20 homemade ones

Melted butter

550gms fresh ricotta

750gms cream cheese (that is 3 x 250 grams packets)

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius. Line the base of a 24cm spring form pan with baking paper. Process Anzac biscuits until crumbs. Pour into a bowl and add melted butter till they loosely come together. Tip into spring form pan and press down evenly around the base. Make sure you don’t press down too much or you won’t be able to cut your cake. Use an electric mixer to beat the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and eggs until combined. Pour mixture into the spring form pan and smooth the top with a spoon. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until just set and lightly golden on top. Cool then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 – 5 hours. Take out cake and allow to come to room temperature. I served this with strawberries because, um, well that is another addiction.

Let me know what you think? Do you have a recipe that beats all others? Am I the only addict out there? Whose in for forming a support group??? We could meet over a piece of cheesecake…oh no, I guess that would be a bad idea huh?

I’m not quite sure when strawberry season begins but it’s got to be now because I just bought two MASSIVE tubs of strawberries for $5. It seems like they should be a springtime fruit but here they are, in the dead of winter, waving at us from the other side saying, “Hang in there, not long now!!” And don’t you just need them? I swear if I eat another mandarin or navel orange I am going to lose it. These first-to-be-picked strawberries were lovely, sweet and oh-so juicy – just like you want strawberries to be. I have been feasting on them like a woman possessed. I don’t think I can get enough of them. To honour their presence I have been waxing on about what we can make with them – tart, jam, juice – all have been discussed but my favourite is the great strawberry shortcake. The great strawberry shortcake is the perfect combination of summer and winter – warm, buttery shortcake, lashings of cream and fresh, juicy strawberries. A little bit of sunshine on a chilly winter’s night. Through some strange act of fate, Jason has never had strawberry shortcake – until now. Was it a success? Did he like it you ask? Well, you know, if pictures say a thousand words then I’m pretty sure, he did.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 punnet of strawberries

1/2 cup cream, to serve

4 cups plain flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

170 grams cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 210 degrees celsius. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Into a food processor place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and process until combined. Add cold butter and process until the mixture is like coarse sand. Don’t over process or the shortcake will be rubbery and hard. There can be pieces of butter in the mixture but not too large. Add buttermilk and process until mixture is just combined. Turn out onto a floured work surface and gather together into a ball. Cut into 8 pieces. (At this stage you can wrap any pieces you are not going to cook and freeze until later.) Gather each piece and press down until it is about an inch high. Don’t overwork the dough. Place onto the baking tray and cook for 15 – 18 minutes. Whip cream and slice warm shortcake in half. On bottom half place strawberries and a dollop of cream and place other half on top. Dust with icing sugar. Eat and think of sunshine.

Addiction

Berry Success

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