Happy Easter & Japanese Cheesecake

I had a good Easter break (but is now sad to see it almost over...)

I met up with some old friends, I made a somewhat strange fruit crumble (next post!), and took advantage of the awesome exchange rate and bought myself some books from the U.S (any recommendations for a good book/cookbook?) But most importantly, I reflected on the reason why we celebrate Easter.

I made this favourite Japanese cheesecake a while ago...but I didn't think to post it since out of the dozen times I've made this cheesecake, this was the first time it had a crack right in the middle...a deep, visible imperfection. However despite this fault, I kept these photos as they reminded me of my own imperfections. Some are deep too, painful to look at or to acknowledge!

I thought I'd post this today, during Easter, because it is during this time that we rejoice and celebrate!

We celebrate that in all our imperfections, God still sent His son Jesus, who in His perfect nature suffered and died for our sins. He paid the full penalty for us and conquered sin and death once and for all through His resurrection. And now He reigns! Total joy and freedom and hope!

And so how comforting it is to know that grace finds beauty in the ugly....

Recipe for this fluffy, super light and delicious Japanese cheesecake is here. The only difference is that I used a loaf tin for this instead of a normal cake pan.

You'll love it if you are a fan of lighter, springy cakes. I also love this version because it calls for less eggs than most recipes for Japanese cheesecakes! Beware though, it is likely that you'll have the whole loaf to yourself in one sitting!

Anyways, hope all of you had a lovely Easter break! 

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Gorgonzola Two Ways

March came and went. It was an unusual month.

Apart from the devastating events around the world, for me, there may have been a lot of dreaming as well as dealing with the fear of decision making, changes and a case of unclear signs.

April signals that we are quarter way through the year (yikes!) and it's time to get serious about the goals set otherwise there will be nothing to show for in the passage of time....

April is also going to be filled with fun things like celebrating birthdays (thankfully not mine), walks in the park to greet my favourite four-legged friend (with a gorgeous nose), snapping more photos with my memory-keeper, wine sipping to accompany dinners (to work my way through the collection from those winery tours), and catching up with friends and books.

So I set a goal few months ago about getting to know different types of cheese (and thought I'd document part of that journey here!)

Even though I'm not a fan of the blue cheese (the smell is sometimes associated with something unpleasant which I shouldn't name here...stinky feet. Oops.), I've chosen the Italian gorgonzola to be the star of my first experiment. I wanted to see if I could grow in my love for it, if my mind could change and my taste buds have matured.

I opened the package to the cheese and took one look at the blue veins, one smell up close, and one taste of the crumb.

Why on earth did I choose this cheese to start with? There is a reason why this stinky dinosaur is named Gorgonzola.

Anyways, some facts I've learnt:

{one} Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's (or goat's) milk. Veined meaning that it has mold running through it giving it a unique and pungent taste.

{two} Two popular varieties include:

• Gorgonzola Dolce (pictured above) is mild and aged for a shorter time, giving it a sweet taste. It is creamier and spreadable and doesn't smell as 'bad' as it's older version. (Dolcelatte is an even milder version of the gorgonzola)
• Gorgonzola Piccante is aged for at least 6 months, creating a sharp, strong and pungent flavor. It's flaky and crumbly and darker in colour than the dolce version.

{three} You can assume that all gorgonzola are made are from Italy, since most of the blue cheeses in the EU carry a protected designation of origin (PDO), meaning the name is protected and can only be made in certain areas. Kind of like how champagne can only be made in the city of Champagne in France! 

Hmmm so what to cook with it?

I've seen a variety of ways people cook with this cheese...melted into a risotto, served as a sauce with short pasta and offered as pizza topping or in salads.

But since I had a box of potato at home, I decided to make me some Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce!

It was fun boiling 1kg of potato and mashing it by hand, and getting flour all over the place (including my poor camera). A mess. But a fun mess.

Rolling those pieces with a fork to create the groove marks was fun too but I looked at the clock and realised I was running out of time so I stopped making the indents. Or maybe I was just lazy. I can't remember.

After I cooked the gnocchi, the gorgonzola sauce only took less than 5 minutes to make.

The verdict? The gnocchi was soft and delicate, and the sauce is smooth and definitely has a bite to it  but it doesn't drown out the taste of the gnocchi. I enjoyed this dish - it looks mild and mellow but it is only when you taste it that the pungency of the cheese stands out (in a pleasant-ish way I promise). 

But I now found myself in a different situation...

a. I have A LOT of left over gorgonzola (I suggest you buy in small quantities!)

b. I love cheesecakes and was curious to see how gorgonzola could work in the sweets department.

So this Gorgonzola Cheesecake came out as a result.

This cheesecake is not for the faint hearted - it packs a punch and while it is smooth, the sharp aroma of the cheese is stays in your mouth (probably not a good thing if you're not crazy about the smell). For a blue cheese lover, this would be an indulgence, and while I have grown to enjoy the taste of gorgonzola from the gnocchi dish, I'm not sure if I could call this my type of cheesecake (yet). I'm just not ready so for now, a slice or two is enough. 

Gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce

Adapted from Guy Grossi - My Italian Heart.
Serves 8 (I halved the recipe)

• 2.5 kg waxy potatoes, washed but unpeeled
• 5 egg yoks
• 440g flour

Gorgonzola sauce

• 200g dolce gorgonzola (or dolcelatte), broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. To make the sauce: combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce until creamy (around 5 minutes). Keep warm until ready to serve.

2. To make the gnocchi: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, then refresh immediately in cold water and peel. Bring a fresh pot of lightly salted water to the boil.

3. Meanwhile, pass the potatoes through a potato ricer onto your work surface until well mashed. Madd the eggs and flour and knead until well blended.

4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into thin 'sausages' about 2 cm thick, then cut the sausages into small pieces. Roll each piece over the tines of a fork to create the traditional groove marks.

5. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in small batches.

6 Remove them when they rise to the surface (2 minutes) and transfer to a large dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

7. Pour the gorgonzola sauce onto the cooked gnocchi and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Cheesecake
1 small 12-15cm cake

• 75g cream cheese
• 40g gorgonzola cheese
• 50ml fresh cream 
• 45g sugar 
• 1/2 whole egg
• 1/2 egg yolk
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 6 kernels almond
• 4 cashew nuts (or walnut)
• 50g digestive biscuits (around 7 pieces)
• 20g unsalted butter, melted

1. Coat the baking pan with butter then sprinkle with some flour to prevent sticking.

Preheat oven to 190C.

2. To make the base, place the digestive biscuits into a sealed plastic bag and using something similar to a rolling pin, bash the bag until the biscuits are evenly and finely cracked.

3. Mix the melted butter with the cracked biscuits and layer/press down evenly on a small baking pan. Leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.

4. Put the cream cheese in a bowl, and using a rubber scraper to mix until smooth. Slowly add in the crumbled gorgonzola cheese in 3 additions until evenly mixed.

5. Add sugar into the mixture, then using a mixer (I used a hand mixer) beat the mix then add in honey, yolk, whole egg and slowly pour in the cream, ensuring to mix evenly before each addition. Finally add in the cornflour and mix again.

6. Add this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Place the almond and cashew nuts on the mixture and place this baking pan on a shallow baking dish filled with hot water (which will come up to half way of the pan).

7. Bake the cake at 190C for 10 minutes, then turn it down to 170C to bake for another 25 minutes.

8. Once remove from the oven, let it cool for a while before putting it into the fridge for 1-2 hours (overnight is even better).

I'm looking forward to experimenting with another cheese soon. Maybe the Swiss Gruyere or the Spanish Manchego?

Any ideas? What are some of the cheeses that you've always wanted to try...or love to cook with?

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Japanese Cheesecake

There are cakes which look absolutely stunning and gorgeous on the outside, but when it comes to the taste, it disappoints, and you just wished that it tasted as good as it looks. I've had a lot of those experiences, and in fact, I think I've made a few of cakes like that myself!

What I love about a good Japanese cheesecake is that while in appearance it resembles a humble (and perhaps, plain or boring?) sponge cake, but the minute you put it into your mouth, you want to close your eyes and go 'hmmmmmmmmmmmmm'.

We all go through phases, don't we?! Well, about a month ago, I was in a cheesecake phase. And I made cheesecakes almost on a daily basis (I don't know where I got the energy from after work!). Following my previous cheesecake attempt, I have diligently scoured the internet for more versions to try. This version is a even lighter version as it calls for less eggs (good for the cholesterol conscious like myself!) and has a mousse-like texture as it is incredible light and fluffy!

Right out of the oven...hmmmmm.

Japanese Cheesecake

Recipe from The Cookbook Chronicles

• 300g cream cheese
• 45g unsalted butter
• 57g egg yolk (this equals to 3 yolks)
• 20g sugar
• 11g cornstarch
• 150g milk
• 95g egg white (3 egg whites)
• 55g sugar
• Use an 18 cm (7 in) cake pan with a fixed bottom

Cut a strip of parchment that is 3 cm higher than the height of the cake pan. Fold 1.5 cm along the long edge and cut a notch to the fold line every 2 cm to allow the strip to line the side of the cake pan. Slits should point into the center of the cake pan. You want the strip to be at least 1 cm taller than the cake pan. (Basically, the notches are just so you can build a perfectly round collar around the base of the pan.) Cut a parchment paper round to line the bottom of the cake pan.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the egg whites into the freezer so it just begins to freeze around the edges. Sift the cornstarch.

Wrap the cream cheese in clear wrap and microwave until it becomes soft to the touch. You do not want to heat it up. (I did this in about 15 second intervals.)

In a large bowl, melt the butter over a double boiler. Add the cream cheese and whisk well to combine.

In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and 20g of sugar. Mix in the cornstarch.

Mixing and yolks with the cream cheese

Heat the milk so it comes to a boil. Add it to the egg yolks and whisk until it thickens in a double boiler over boiling water. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and combine well.

Add a small amount of the 55g of sugar to the egg whites and mix on medium low speed for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat on medium until a soft meringue forms.

Add ¼ of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and combine. Add the remaining meringue to the cream cheese mixture and fold to combine. Fill the cake pan and smooth the top.

Pouring the mixture into the dish

All ready for the oven!

Put the cake pan in a roasting pan and add boiling water so it comes up 1-1.5 cm up the cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 160°C and continue to bake for 25 minutes until the top turns slightly golden. Turn off the oven and leave the cake pan for another 40 minutes to an hour.

So beautifully plump!

Note: The cake will continue to bake with the heat off so do not over bake. Depending on the oven, the cake may not turn golden but should avoid cooking much longer than the suggested time.

Take the cake out of the roasting dish and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate and chill completely before taking it out of the pan. It is best served the second day

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Zebra cheesecake

People often ask me whether I've taken my love for cooking from my mother. I wouldn't say so really. Often I think my mum could be a great cook but chooses not to. It's too bad she doesn't really like to spend all that time in the kitchen (or perhaps it's a good thing - otherwise I'd have been pretty big). Growing up though, I do remember her being pretty 'famous' amongst her group of friends for some of her specialties. And Japanese cheesecake is one of them. People could call and order cheesecakes from her and I recall her bringing taking those cotton soft cheesecakes out from the oven and her friends gasping with delight at the sight of them.

Well, I'm not quite sure where her recipe for the cheesecake is now. I should call and ask her about it soon.

But for now, I've found another version online. It tastes like my mum's. In fact, I showed my mum my version over Skype and she nods approvingly. So I'm sure it's not too bad ;)

I don't have any photos of the making of this cake because I was in a rush (and impatient to eat!). I got zebra-inspired with this cheesecake by another Aussie blogger - it's so prettyyy!

The verdict?

This cake tastes as good as it looks. Or better. It has a soft delicate flavour that is so addictive!

Zebra Cheesecake

Recipe from NotQuiteNigella

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour
Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 50g/2 ozs butter
• 250g/9 ozs cream cheese
• 100 ml/3 fl ozs milk
• 60g/2 ozs plain flour
• 20g/1 oz cornflour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 150g/5 ozs fine granulated sugar
• 6 eggs separated
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons Dutch process Cocoa

Instructions:

1. Prepare cake tin. Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of a round 12 inch springform tin with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper). Wrap two layers of foil around the tin to prevent water seeping in. Find a large baking dish that will fit the springform tin. Fill the empty baking dish 1/4 of the way full with water and place the baking dish with water (don’t put the lined springform tin in just yet) in the centre rack of an oven and switch it on to 160C/325F.

2. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler-use whisk to get out any lumps. Cool the mixture over an ice bath. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, 6 egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well. Whisk 6 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the cheese mixture to loosen. Then add the rest in third batches and mix well and ensure that the egg whites are thoroughly combined gently by folding-there should be no streaks at all. Divide the batter evenly in two and in one bowl, sift the cocoa in it and combine well using a folding action.

4. This is the fun bit. Take your lined springform tin and place tablespoons of cream coloured batter in a circle in the centre of the tin (see picture). Then take 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter and place in the centre. Keep adding circles and the batter will spread of its own accord. Don’t tilt the tin, it will just spread by itself. Keep adding 3 tablespoon circles of batter until both of the batters are used. If you don’t divide them evenly like I did and I had too much cream batter left over, I just stopped adding it and baked the leftover separately as I didn’t want to ruin the zebra effect.

5. Carefully transfer the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven making sure not to tilt the cheesecake. Bake cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). Chill thoroughly.

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