Butterscotch Cheesecake

I've started doing a fair amount of baking now that I am both getting used to using substitutes and have had a few people coming from the US bring groceries for me. I've also struck an agreement with M that he hauls water up my five flights for me if I bake for him. I think I'm getting the better end of that bargain frankly.

Two of my recent baking obsessions have been cheesecakes and vegetable cakes (carrot and zucchini especially). Both of these require cream cheese-not an available ingredient here. If you go to the grocery store you will find cream cheese (krem peynir) but that far more resembles those jars of spreadable, bright orange "cheese" that always seem to be popular around Christmas? I have no idea what that stuff really is but I always kind of liked it. However that is not a suitable substitute for American cream cheese.

Your best bet is to use labne, which is a super strained yogurt. The downside of using labne is that if you play with it too much it loses its integrity and thins out again. I've largely had good luck with it but a couple weeks ago I was making cinnamon cream cheese frosting for zucchini cake and it fell apart. So we had zucchini cake with cream cheese drizzle instead. It's easier with cheesecake since it gets baked.

Of course I got so distracted while writing the blog that I forgot to check the cheesecake and the pecans got a wee...singed. Always remember to check the cheesecake.

It's a good thing I'm bellydancing again because dessert is now a one-two time a week thing now. At least I'm not eating them all myself now! I make sure that E&M take leftovers.


Recipe:

Crust:

• 1 Cup crushed Graham Crackers or cookies
• 2 Tbls Sugar
• 3 Tbls butter, melted

1. Combine crushed Graham Crackers, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan.
2. Bake at 325F for 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven, set aside, and increase oven temperature to 350F.

Cheesecake:

• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 2 Tbls flour
• 2 eggs
• 10 ounces butterscotch chips
• 2 Tbls milk
• Flaked coconut
• Chopped pecans

1. Combine milk and butterscotch chips in melt, stirring fairly often, in a double boiler over low heat., When melted, remove from double boiler and set aside.
2. Whisk cream cheese, sugar, and flour.
3. Add butterscotch.
4. Once those are combined, whisk in eggs, one at a time.
5. Pour over crust an bake for 20-ish minutes. Until the top looks semi-set up.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle coconut and pecans on top. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.