In my youth, Shavuot was the holiday when we spent the whole night between the various shuls in the Jerusalem neighborhood where my parents lived, looking for the most fascinating classes, joining a group that knew where the best conversations were, and the talks on the most interesting topics.
Early in the morning, we returned home tired and full of adventures. Sometimes we had heard of a class or participated in a study that was life-changing, one that had insights that are burned into us to this day.
When we’d return, our mother would be waiting for us with a festive dairy meal. The effort and creativity she had invested were evident in every detail.
The younger brothers called it “a meal full of desserts.” They always preferred the sweets and cheesy blintzes coated with powdered sugar over the steaming pies and varied salads.
Below are two cheesecake recipes that I hope you will enjoy. One is for a cheesecake that my aunt used to make, which none of us could ever resist, even if we were on a diet!
The second recipe is a coffee cheesecake to upgrade your coffee break any day.
Good luck and happy holidays!
Aunt Esther’s Old Fashioned Crumb Cheesecake
For the crumb base:¼ cup white sugar¼ cup brown sugar350 gr. self-raising flour1 tsp. vanilla extract200 gr. butter at room temperature
Preheat oven to 170° C.
Put all the crumb ingredients in a bowl and knead with your hands until you get a uniform dough. Flatten the dough in a baking lined with baking paper, to a thickness of approx. ½ centimeter.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, then remove from oven and cool. When cooled, crush by hand or with a crumb tool. Set aside.
For the cheese filling:1 cup white sugar1 packet instant vanilla pudding powder500 gr. (2 containers) of 5% or 9% cream cheese750 ml. (3 containers) sweet cream
Whip the sweet cream and sugar until stiff. Add the instant pudding and cheese. Continue mixing until the cream is stiff.
Assembling the cake:
Take only 1/2 of the crumbs and place them in a 20 x 30 cm. pan. Press them firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Pour the cream and cheese filling over the well-pressed layer of crumbs.
Then, sprinkle the other half of the crumbs over the filling.
Refrigerate to set for at least six hours.
Rivky’s Dairy Coffee Cake
3 cups flour4 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda1 cup milk2 eggs1 ½ cups sugar½ cup butter1 tsp. vanilla extract1 tsp. salt1 cup sour cream
For the crumb base and top:½ cup brown sugar½ cup sugar5 tbsp. flour2 tsp. cinnamon4 tbsp. butter
Preheat oven to 180° C.
Combine all crumb ingredients. Mix well until a fine crumb forms. Set aside.
Prepare the cake: Beat eggs and sugar for two minutes. Add butter and vanilla. Beat until combined.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to your mixing bowl. Beat until combined.
Add the sour cream and beat until mixed in, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture.
Add milk and beat until combined, followed by the remaining flour mixture, beating until mixed in.
Grease and flour a 20 x 30 cm. baking pan. Pour in half the batter and sprinkle with half the prepared crumbs. Then pour the remaining half of the batter, followed by the remaining crumbs.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. ■