Without the heat
Without the heat
It has been years since I produced an old-fashioned cheesecake — a real cheesecake, the kind that people call “New York style" — and it may be that the last time I did so was to be sure I still knew how to. But a suggestion from a friend, a craving for graham cracker crust — it had been a while — and the annual search for ways to use blueberries when they’re abundant, led to this simple, no-bake dessert. I think it qualifies as a cheesecake, even if it’s not the paradigm.
I started with the traditional graham-cracker-and-butter combination, which produces a crumbly but credible crust in no time; I like it with a bit of groundnuts added for flavour, though it’s fine without. The filling, or topping, is just a combination of ricotta (drained, if it’s watery) and cream cheese, flavoured with lemon and honey; it’s deliciously creamy when first produced, but sets up well once chilled.
Mind you, it doesn’t develop the firmness of classic cheesecake, which usually contains eggs or cornstarch, or both, and whose density may approach that of lead. Instead, it’s quite a delicate thing. But it becomes sturdy enough to cut (carefully), and sit up straight on a plate. And it doesn’t require a springform pan, several bowls, an oven or a water bath, which I despise about as much as anything in all of cooking.
There are those who may not find this sweet enough, and if that’s the case, I recommend adding a quarter cup or so of sugar instead of increasing the honey, because you don’t want the honey flavour to become overpowering. Other possibilities to add with the blueberries: any citrus you like; a teaspoon or so of very finely ground coffee or cocoa; chopped raisins or, I suppose, chocolate chips. I prefer the straight honey-lemon combination, unadulterated.
Any soft fruit can be used instead of or alongside the blueberries: other berries, pitted and halved cherries, cut-up peaches or nectarines. Or, you can make a kind of berry sauce (just cook berries with a little water and sugar), and spoon it over the cheesecake, which will make it look more like the “real" thing.
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients:
16 graham cracker squares (8 whole crackers), crushed
1/4 cup ground pecans or walnuts, optional
3 tbsp melted butter
18-ounce (about 500g) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp honey, or to taste
Rind of a lemon, freshly grated
A pinch of salt
About one and half cups blueberries
Method:
Combine crushed graham crackers, nuts if using, and melted butter. Press evenly into bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square pan (glass is good) to form a crust about 1/4-inch thick. Put in refrigerator until ready to use.
Using a standing or hand mixer, or a whisk, combine cream cheese, ricotta, honey, lemon rind and salt, and blend until smooth. Spread the mixture carefully and evenly over the crust, using a spatula or a butter knife to smooth the top. Cover with fresh blueberries and chill for at least an hour, or until set. Cut into squares or bars and serve.
©2008/The New York Times
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