(No mascarpone, no eggs)
Cheesecake's history spans over 4,000 years, originating in ancient Greece, where it was served to athletes during the first Olympic Games. The Romans adapted the recipe, spreading it across Europe. By the Middle Ages, cheesecake evolved with new ingredients like eggs and various cheeses. Today, modern versions reflect diverse cultural tastes: New York-style cheesecake is dense and creamy with cream cheese, Italian cheesecake uses ricotta, and Japanese cheesecake is light and fluffy. Contemporary innovations include vegan, gluten-free, and flavored varieties such as matcha and salted caramel, showcasing the dessert's versatile and timeless appeal.
Cheesecakes might look very complicated to make, but today we are going to see how we can make a cheesecake at home, that too with materials easily available. Cheesecakes have become a family favorite and are a great option to bring to a potluck as it takes only 4 ingredients and so little time to prepare.
What you need:
2 packs of biscuit of your choice (I personally love ParleG and it goes perfectly with the saltiness of butter)
Salted butter (Half cup, melted)
Milkmaid (a cup)
Hung curd (a cup) (if you cannot find hung curd, just take a cotton cloth and wrap the amount of curd needed, tightly, for 2 hours or till all the water is squeezed out)
Fresh cream (half cup)
Vanilla extract
Parchment paper
Any kind of spread, fruit compote, jam or topping of your choice.
You can either bake it or directly put it in the freezer and set it for 6 hours. I would suggest setting your cheesecake for 24 hours if you are not a fan of a little gooey cheesecakes.
How to prep:
Crush and grind your biscuits and add the melted butter into it and mix it. Make sure the mixture is not too gooey, it must be tight.
Take a baking bowl, line it with parchment paper and grease it with butter and pour the biscuit mixture and set it tightly. Put the bowl in the fridge while we move on to the next step.
In a mixing bowl, add the hung curd and the fresh cream. Give it a good mix.
Now little by little, add the milkmaid. Make sure that the mixture is not too liquid. It must be dense.
Add a few drops of vanilla extract to the mixture. Beat the mixture well so that no lumps remain.
Take the biscuit mixture out of the freezer, and pour the mixture made out of hung curd on top of it. Level the mixture properly.
(can skip this step) Put the baking bowl in the oven and bake it at 250 degrees for 20 minutes to get a light toast. You might bake it for some more time, if you want to make a burnt basque cheesecake.
After the baking is done, take it out and let it rest at room temperature. After an hour, when the temperature of the cake is normal, put it in the freezer and let it set for as long as you want. I prefer to set it for minimum 6-7 hours, and maximum, overnight.
Once the cheesecake is ready, you can put any topping of your choice. My favorite kind of homemade cheesecake is a plain one or with a Nutella topping or with a layer of mango jam.
Your homemade cheesecake is ready!
One thing I like about this recipe is how simple and easy it is to make. I am currently visiting my parents, who live in Digboi, Upper Assam, which is a mountainous region and even the simplest of ingredients are difficult to find. But we always give in to our cravings and find ways to replicate dishes with ingredients that are easily available around us.
If you do try this recipe out, let me know how you liked it in the comments down below, I would see you again with a food review next time.
Until then, happy eating!
Looks yumm! 🤤
Looking forward to have a taste of it.😉