Summer Olallieberry Cheesecake For Mom

Hello! It’s been a little hectic around here with a six month old who has decided she’s really into solid food (maybe you could tell from the photos in the last post that this baby really enjoys eating!) and is on the verge of figuring out how to stand on her own (Yikes – we are not ready for a cruising baby at all!)

Fortunately, the parents have arrived in town to provide a little relief. To welcome them, I wanted to make one of my mom’s favorite desserts: cheesecake. My mom is fairly picky about her sweets, claiming that most Western style desserts are way too rich and sweet for her (you know Chinese moms – to them dessert is a nice plate of orange slices), so I’ve learned to avoid making anything with chocolate, or loaded with frosting or sugar, when she’s around.

This version, adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours, is an elegant and relatively light dessert, ideal for summer. It’s made from a mixture of cream cheese and cottage cheese, and bakes into a thin, yet still-fluffy layer. I added in a bit of orange flower water and orange peel to up the summery feel of the cake. I didn’t quite use up all the batter, because I didn’t get the crumb crust high enough on the sides, so I’ve increased the crust ingredients in the recipe below. Try to get the crumbs between halfway to two-thirds up the side of the springform pan. I also got to use up the last of our frozen olallieberries, which should just be coming into season again, as a sweet underpinning to the cheesecake. You can use any kind of jam you like, or fresh berries as well.  I also like that this cake bakes up fine without a water bath, so it’s a little less fiddly when you want to be spending minimal time in a hot kitchen during a hot summer day. The cheesecake is meant to fall and even crack slightly while cooling, but in my opinion still looks (and tastes) absolutely fine.

This got an enthusiastic nod from Mom (whew!) so I’m happy to add this to the list of Things I Can Make When Mom’s In Town. I’m also testing out a Japanese style “cotton-soft” or soufflé cheesecake, as they are very popular in Asia, so when I’m happy with that one I’m looking forward to posting it as well!