Cheesecake – A Little History
Cheese making can be traced back as far as 2,000 B.C. and cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. The Romans introduced cheesecake to the rest of Europe. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America, with a variety of regional recipes brought over by immigrants. In the late 1800s, William Lawrence of Chester, New York, accidentally developed a method of producing cream cheese while trying to duplicate the French cheese – Neufchatel.
A few years later, the Empire Cheese Company of New York began producing PHILADELPHIA BRAND Cream Cheese for a New York distributor called Reynolds. In 1912, James Kraft developed a method to pasteurize cream cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese), and soon other manufacturers of dairy products offered this new type of cheese.
Numerous types of recipes can be found for cheesecake-most notably the famous New York Cheesecake. My recipe is a simple adaptation of a New York style cake that is easy to make and a bit healthier.
Simple Cheesecake
Jovina Coughlin's simple adaption of New York style cheesecake with only 5 carbs per serving when sugar substitute is used.
Ingredients -- Crust:
- 1 cup finely ground pecans or almonds or hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or brown sugar alternative
Ingredients -- Filling:
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients -- Topping:
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
Directions:
- Preheat the oven To 375 Degrees F.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray.
- Combine the ground nuts, melted butter, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and remove the pan from the oven to cool while you prepare the filling.
- With an electric mixer, blend cream cheese until creamy for one minute. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and blend until incorporated.
- Pour the filling over the baked crust in the springform pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until somewhat firm in the center. It will be brown and cracked around the edges.
- Let cool, then refrigerate.
- Combine the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl with a cover. Refrigerate for several hours.
- Top with some of the berry sauce and serve
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