Scratch-made desserts, and darn near anything baked, can be tricky to pull off. There are formulas involved, legit scientific stuff, that is required to be just so for your dessert to be oh so good. When you get right down to it, the world is a better place with easy dessert recipes.
Cheesecake can be hard to make well, and generally involve steps and time you may not have. Worth the effort I suppose, but do you really want to waste half a day, dirty lots of dishes only to risk ruining the cake in the oven? Not me. I want easy.
Limited measuring. No baking. No time & temperature management to ensure a glassy, smooth custard is set properly. Easy. Allow me to introduce you to the easiest cheesecake ever. Not only is it easy to make, but also easy to customize, to alter and change into ANY cheesecake you want. If that flexibility isn’t the best feature of this dish, it’s a close second.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups crumbs for your crust (graham crackers, cookies, Nila wafers, ginger snaps, etc)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 14 ounces sweetened, condensed milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup cooked (or raw), pureed and cooled “flavor” item. If cooking, add a pinch of salt.
Recipe:
- Combine crumbs and melted butter in a bowl, stirring until everything is wet.
- Press crumbs into molds, pie pan, ring cutter, torte pan, or spring-form pan and set aside.
- In blender, combine condensed milk, cream cheese, and “flavor” item, pulsing at first, then blend on high until smooth. Transfer to piping bag to fill smaller crusts in molds, or, spoon into other prepared pans.
- Refrigerate overnight to cool. Serve with toppings of choice.
Do I have to wait overnight? You should. Required? Nah. In a time crunch, pop the finished cheesecake(s) into the freezer to chill faster, about 1 to 4 hours. You need them to set up to more closely resemble actual cheesecake.
What exactly is the “flavor item?” Part of the way I cook is to eat first. I will try anything. If I like it, I try to identify how to make it myself, at home. There are some parts of a recipe that should not or cannot be changed, but often times there are just as many that can. The fun in cooking is making your own combinations, admittedly more fun when brilliant. For this recipe, the base that makes it “cheesecake” is the condensed milk and cream cheese. The actual flavor is up to you. Even the proportion/amount can be changed, and sometimes should.
Here are some flavor options to try at full, 1-cup amount. You can cook these or not, it’s up to you. If 1 cup isn’t enough flavor, you can add more but usually, 1 cup is perfect:
- Pumpkin
- Berries (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Cranberries, Strawberries). Note: Some berries need to be forced through a sieve (mesh strainer) to catch the seeds.
- Fruits (Apples, Pears, Bananas, Kiwis, Apricots, Mangos, Peaches). Note: Peel. The. Fruits.
Based on thickness, here are some flavor options to try at 3/4-cup. You will not need to add salt or cook these:
- Nut butters (Peanut, Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut, Nutella)
- Note: these options are all nut-butters. Approximating cheesecake with this recipe is about achieving the right texture, which cannot be done with “chunky” varieties. Don’t assume the nuts will smooth out while blending. Stick to creamy and you’ll be rewarded.
Based on sheer concentration, citrus flavor choices like lemon or key lime, need different treatment and far less quantity. Start with 1/4-cup and increase to taste. Likewise, if adding spices like cinnamon, gingerbread, mace, or anise, start with 2 teaspoons and adjust accordingly. You can always add.
The sample photo you see is a peanut butter cheesecake with blackberry “jelly” sauce. The crust is chocolate graham crackers made from Teddy Grahams (also decorations). I was aiming for that PB and J vibe in a dessert. Youthful and fun for everyone. Try to pair toppings (sauces, etc) with the main flavor. There are several common pairings from which to choose: blueberry and mango, strawberry and lime, chocolate and peanut butter, and many more.
How adventurous are you? Make two batches of cheesecake: one peanut butter and one banana. Take cooked bacon pieces to make your crust. Melt some chocolate to pour over the bacon in a thin layer instead of the butter. When it cools, add one layer of each cheesecake mix (peanut butter and banana). Top with shaved chocolate pieces. It. Is. Mindblowing.
Let’s have a quick word about blenders for this recipe. It’s possible your blender isn’t up to the challenge of achieving the desired texture when combining the ingredients. You may simply need more horsepower. As far as the kitchen is concerned, anything that cuts food should be the very best you can afford, even if it means sacrificing a bit more for it than you really want to. I bought a commercial blender refurbished for $150 less than retail. The warranty is in tact and it will last at least 10 more years under it’s current duty schedule (2-3x weekly). It will pulverize anything short of metal, which is another way of me saying I simply haven’t tried it yet. Invest in a good blender. If you don’t have one, try your food processor. It may produce better (smoother) results.
What’s with the tiny ramekins? I use 2-ounce ramekins to make lots of tiny portions to eat all week. I have a 1/4-cup measuring cup that fits perfectly inside the little ramekins that presses the crust wonderfully even. I use about 2 tablespoons of crumbs for my portions. The recipe will yield 12 of these small portions. Because they are small, there is a bit less guilt when eating, and they fit anywhere in the refrigerator. You can hide them to keep them safe from invaders.
The cheesecake will keep about one week in your refrigerator, but I doubt they last that long. The easiest cheesecake ever may actually be the best cheesecake ever.
Until next time – A.
