Desserts can be tricky, and as result, I find people like to steer clear of them.
There can be a lot steps, a lot of mess, and a need for tools and ingredients that can be difficult to get a hold of. And sometimes, you can just tell a dessert recipe is going to be a bitch to make, like linzer tarts — or worse, croquembouche.
Baking can be annoying. I get it.
But, in times like these dessert feels very necessary, if not required. Don’t let seemingly difficult recipes thwart you from getting that massive intake of sugar you so deserve.
Instead, try your hand at making Molly Baz’s Basque Burnt Cheesecake — which, by the way, is impossible to fuck up, per Baz (and me).
Basque Country is known for its light, fluffy, crustless, and beautifully bronzed cheesecakes. Just imagine a quiche, flan, and custard had a threesome, and that’s kind of what a Basque cheesecake is like. It’s amazing, and if you love cheesecake you will absolutely lose your shit over this recipe, least of all because it’s extremely easy to make.
However, I regret to inform you that this recipe does require a piece of bakeware you may or may not have: a 10” springform pan.
Springform pans are one of those weird kitchen supplies that feel infinitely fancier than they actually are, for no reason that’s clear to me. They’re also not readily available at most grocery stores, so you may need to order one online, or make a special trip to a kitchen supply store.
Typically, I hate having to buy something special — especially if it hinges on the expensive side — just to make one specific kind of dish. Though, springform pans are fairly versatile and you can make a number of dishes, both sweet and savory, so I would consider this purchase a worthy investment.
But I digress! It is now time to discuss the blessed cheesecake.
Because this is a crustless cheesecake all you need to concern yourself with is the batter, which as I previously mentioned is incredibly simple to make, and mainly consists of cream cheese (two pounds!) and eggs (six!).
Preparing the cheesecake batter took about 20 minutes to throw together, and the cheesecake itself took 65 minutes to bake. Just enough time to squeeze in an episode of one of the more heinous reality television shows: 90 Day Fiancé. Please reserve your judgements.
Here’s my finished product (apologies in advanced for my very much non-professional food photos):
My only real piece of advice would be to wait until your cheesecake is completely cool before you remove it from its springform pan. If you’re like me waiting for anything to cool feels like torture, and I’m so sorry, but I promise you it is worth it.
And don’t be freaked out if your cheesecake comes out of the oven a little jiggly, this is totally normal, and as your cheesecake cools it will fall and solidify. Another reason why waiting for it to cool fully is of the utmost importance!
The only real downfall of a dessert like this is that unless you’re having a dinner party, or live with more than one person, you will be stuck with a massive amount of cheesecake. Presumably for the next week. But it’s kind of hard to complain about having too much cheesecake.
Tasty Finds
I’ve owned the Smitten Kitchen cookbook for about two years now and have been eying its Gooey Cinnamon Squares recipe for ages. I was put off by the recipe’s many steps (which are truthfully very easy), but always had an inkling that it would be wonderful — which is an understatement for what it is.
The Gooey Cinnamon Squares are what I feel snickerdoodle cookies would look and taste like if they were magically transformed into a dessert bar. The first time I made these I ate so many I nearly threw up (twice). They’re really that good.
Sadly, Smitten Kitchen’s recipe isn’t readily available online, but Completely Delicious has a recipe that is a near duplicate of the original. If you have the time and are looking for a fun baking project, I really can’t recommend this recipe more.
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Okay, this isn’t a recipe, but I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend this Silpat non-stick baking mat in this dessert-heavy newsletter.
It’s durable in temperatures up to 480 degrees, it makes cookie baking especially easy, and seriously minimizes clean up post baking.
It may seem a tad pricey, but I promise you it’s a worthy investment!
Tastier Reads
Monica Burton wrote about José Andrés non-profit World Central Kitchen — which has provided disaster relief in Brazil, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Zambia — and its #ChefsforFeds initiative for Eater. She also reported that Andrés’ non-profit fed 11,400 meals for furloughed workers in a single day. If you like, you can donate to World Central Kitchen’s many projects here.
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Amanda Mull wrote about the “ugly produce” business and its questionable practices for The Atlantic.
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My friend and former colleague Heather Dockray explained why “15-minute recipes” are bullshit for Mashable.
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Kat Thompson bravely proclaimed that all food is breakfast food in Thrillist, and my god, I’ve never felt more seen.
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Andi Murphy wrote about the fascinating and beautiful world of Pueblo bread baking for Eater, which you absolutely don’t want to skip.
This newsletter is still in its infancy, so if you have any thoughts, ideas, or if there’s any kind of recipe you’re interested in seeing in the next newsletter, let me know at ahenning91@gmail.com.
Until next week!
Amanda