Mom's Heavenly Cheesecake

This post is especially for Tresia, a reader from Namibia who saw the photo of my mom's cheesecake on Easter and asked for the recipe.

I thought I'd share it.  It needs to be shared.  Her cheesecakes are one of her many masterpieces.  Friends joked in the past that she should do catering.  It is just that good.  Mom bought me my own springform pan which I look forward to use.  I'm less experienced as a baker, but I look forward to this challenge someday, and will post step by step photos.  Until then, Mom was most happy to share, and flattered that readers from around the globe have taken interest.  She is most grateful and so am I.  Thanks for asking and we are happy to share.

You will need a 10 inch springform pan.

You will also need another larger oven-safe container to cradle the cheesecake pan during baking.  It needs to be deep enough to hold the pan while it is 1/3 to 1/2 submerged in a water bath to bake.  Large casserole bakers or pans work well.


Preheat oven to 300F

Crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together.  Push into bottom of pan and a little bit up on the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Filling:
4  8oz packages of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2  14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
6 large eggs or extra large eggs (7 medium, 8 small)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
8 oz sour cream (I'm guessing yogurt may work if sour cream is not available)

Mix all together, then whip for 5 minutes.  It must be whipped at high speed for 5 minutes to incorporate air and fluffiness. 

Pour into crust mixture.  Cover springform pan and sides with foil and place in larger pan.  Add water in the larger pan 1/3 to 1/2 high from the springform pan's height.  Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with a slight jiggle in the middle. Ovens will vary, so keep an eye on it and check close to 60 minutes. Take out of the water bath pan.  Let cool for 30 minutes before toppings are added.  Don't turn off the oven.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rasberry syrup or jam (optional)

Beat together while cheesecake is cooking, then spread over the top of the cheesecake that has been cooled for 30 minutes.

Place back in the oven directly on the rack (no water bath) for 5-7 minutes.

Let this cool for another 15-30 minutes, then chill at least an hour until serving.

If you want to make it even more decadent like Mom did, spread raspberry syrup or preserves on top, then add fresh raspberries.

Thanks for reading!

Hungarian Onion Soup

This soup has been known in my family as " 'Bray'-zlee' Soup."  Unfortunately, my mother, uncle, brother and I were not taught Hungarian.   With the elder generations of our heritage gone, I do not know the proper spelling of this soup.  All I know is that it's a delicious peppery, creamy soup loved by my family for generations.

What makes this soup so distinctive are the grated noodles.

The delightful little nuggets boast a slightly chewy texture and they do a wonderful job of absorbing the soup's flavors.  Grandma and Great Grandma would make a large ball of egg pasta dough and, instead of taking the extra steps to roll and cut it, they simply took the ball to the box grater and produced tiny-sized dumplings or spaetzels.  This must have been a time-saver back in the day before ready-made pasta and import stores.  Today, it's considered extra work.  Thank goodness for import stores and online ordering.  However, it's a goal of mine to someday make the noodles on my own.

Locally, Clevelanders can find these at the import store in the corner of the West Side Market.

If the grated noodles aren't available, try the small squares or the Csiga (Chee'-gah) noodles, which are also distinctively Hungarian.

Someday soon I plan on writing a separate post on Ciga noodles, showcasing my great-grandmother's Ciga maker, and possibly making my own.

If you are a seasoned pro at making your own egg pasta dough, the extra steps shouldn't be too difficult.

This soup had been done with plain water with my grandparents and great grandparents.  They were defined by the peasant recipes of their old country as well as the Depression.  Plus, this was a family tradition on meatless Lenten Fridays.

While it was always good, Mom has updated the recipe to give it a bit more flavor and depth.

I'll never forget the time Mom came over to our new house to help me make my first version of the soup.  She and I have both discovered that my husband loves almost any kind of soup.  This is now one of his favorites.

There is great pleasure in sharing something from your family history and having it accepted by the one you love.   It's as if in one bite you have the opportunity to share an entire childhood book of memories.
I have felt this in my husband's family as well when they share their favorites.

This is a simple soup with few ingredients.  Paprika is the key, and, you need to add a lot to give it the distinctive flavor; therefore, sweet Hungarian paprika is recommended, so you can add a lot without it getting too hot and spicy.  When I made this with my husband's 98 year old grandmother, she swore that in all of her years, she has never seen so much paprika go into one recipe.  Do yourself a favor and invest in some GOOD and FRESH paprika.  Our favorite paprikas are from Penzey's.  I remember Mom and Grandma filling out their mail-order catalog forms in the 80s and calling in the orders during the 90s.

Listen to some Hungarian music to put you in the mood!

***

This is the recipe that my Mom and I created

Makes 2-4 servings

5 min prep
30 minutes cook time

1/4 stick butter
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onions
1 small clove minced garlic
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (4 tablespoons if you're daring)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup sour cream
1/2 bag (4.4 oz) of small Hungarian egg noodles, preferably grated  (If none can be found, orzo pasta can be used)

Cook the diced onions and garlic in the butter and oil on medium heat until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Don't cook at a higher temp to save time.  You don't want the onions to overcook, plus you don't want to cook away the fats as they will add flavor and body to the soup.

Add the paprika, stir.

Add the broth, stir, bring to a boil.

Turn down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Temper the sour cream.  You need to do this carefully with small doses of the hot soup into the cool sour cream, or else it will curdle.

Place the sour cream in a large mixing bowl and slowly pour one large spoonful or small ladle of soup into the sour cream.  Stir until blended.  Repeat several times (4-5) until you get a thick liquid.

Pour back into the pot and turn on high to boil.  Add half a bag of noodles.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Cover, turn down to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the noodles are tender but slightly chewy.

These little nugget noodles will soak up a lot of broth.  Serve immediately as it will thicken while it cools.