Nothing Takes The Place Of Real Cheesecake

Forgive the nostalgia, but I can remember a time not so long ago when cooks boasted about the number of eggs and cups of cream that went into their cheesecakes. More eggs and cream made a smoother, more custardy cake.

Plain cheesecake? Never! It was hazelnut, or white chocolate, or white and bittersweet chocolate combined.

Well, that’s probably gone the way of marbled steaks. But just as a meat lover can argue that sliced turkey breast will never taste like juicy, rare beef, we dessert lovers can’t find complete satisfaction in a bowl of berries and plain (nonfat, of course) yogurt.

And a stripped-down version of the classic cheesecake, made with nonfat milk and egg whites, isn’t the solution, either. It just doesn’t taste like the real thing.

Instead, I recommend making a delicious, luscious recipe that yields a small amount, to cut down on those tempting leftovers. A reasonable reduction is to halve a standard recipe, baking the cake in a 7-inch pan for a yield of six to eight slices.

Serve the first two slices as soon as the cake firms up. Revel in the richness. Then wrap the remaining slices in plastic wrap; cover again in foil and freeze.

When sugar-free gelatin desserts won’t hit the spot, a wedge of strawberry cheesecake from the freezer might. Frozen cheesecake has a better texture if it is not completely thawed. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours or until just soft enough to cut into.

Strawberry Cheesecake

1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter

1/2 cup crushed orange cracker or graham cracker crumbs

1 cup whole strawberries

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier

2 teaspoons plus 2/3 cup sugar

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

4 large strawberries, halved, optional

Combine melted butter and crumbs in bowl. Pat onto bottom of 7-inch springform pan. This is a very thin crust and may barely cover bottom of pan. Cover and chill in freezer while preparing filling.

Puree berries in blender or food processor to yield 1/2 cup puree. Combine with Grand Marnier and 2 teaspoons sugar. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese with remaining 2/3 cup sugar until light. Add orange peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add strawberry mixture, but don’t completely beat in; drizzle and fold it in to create a marbled effect. Gently pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pan. Place in slightly larger pan with 1 inch warm water.

Bake cake at 300 degrees until it doesn’t shimmy when shaken gently, 1 1/4 hours. Remove pan with water from oven. Set cake aside in larger pan for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake. Cover and chill 6 hours before slicing. Garnish cake with strawberry halves.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Bev Bennett is food editor of the Chicago Sun-Times and author of four cookbooks.