By Request

By Kekoa Catherine Enomoto

Wednesday, August 12, 1998

File photo
Fresh strawberries or other fruit provide a foil
for either of two beer cheesecakes.

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Beer brings zest
to cheesecake

A cheddar cheese and beer
blend dates back to the 1970s

EVEN before the microbrewery craze came a recipe for cheesecake with beer. Reader June Goodwin asked for the 1970s recipe.

"It had strawberries or cherries on top," she recalled. "Ooh, that thing was delicious."

The recipes below call for two savory ingredients -- beer and cheddar cheese; nevertheless, the result is a dessert item.

Although innovative American chefs are constantly dreaming up cheesecake variations -- pumpkin or hazelnut or bourbon, for example -- there are two classics only. The Lindy's Jewish-type is made with cream cheese, the Italian with ricotta or cottage cheese.

Two versions of beer cheesecake follow for requestor June Goodwin, courtesy of cheesecake recipe doyenne Floramaria Deter at e-mail fmd@best.com

Note: To receive a free Hawaii Seafood Consumer Guide, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Ocean Resources Branch, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, Hawaii 96804 (instead of the street address in a July 15 story on fish of the millennium).

The full-color brochure features charts on flavors and textures of various isle fish, as well as ways to prepare them.

For information, call 587-2685.

Cheddar beer cheesecake

From "San Francisco Encore Cookbook"

Crust:
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
n Filling:
2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon orange rind
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup beer or ale
1/4 cup heavy cream

To prepare crust, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar and lemon rind. Cream with the butter. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Stir until a soft dough is formed.

Press 1/3 of the dough onto the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully, as it burns quickly. Let cool. Press the remaining dough around the sides of the pan, coming to within 1 inch of the top.

To prepare filling, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the cheddar cheese until well blended. Add the sugar, vanilla and citrus rinds. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in beer and heavy cream. Pour into the prepared crust.

Return the pan to the 500 degree oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until a tester inserted in the center comes out fairly clean.

Cool to room temperature. Serve warm or chilled. If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries, canned cherries or other fruits.

Makes 12 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 590 calories, 42 g total fat, 26 g saturated fat, 245 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium. Per serving made with low-fat cream cheese: 500 calories, 29 g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 205 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium.*

Cheddar and beer cheesecake

From "1001 Home Ideas," 1991

Crust:
1-1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 20 snaps)
2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted (1/2 stick)
Filling:
3 packages (8 ounces EACH) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup non-alcoholic beer
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom only of a 9-inch spring-form pan with removable side.

In a medium-size bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, ginger and butter. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill while making the filling.

With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat both cheeses in a large bowl just until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating just until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until each is combined. At low speed, beat in the beer and heavy cream. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until the center is set and the top is lightly golden, but do not brown. Turn off the oven and place a wooden spoon in the door to hold it slightly ajar; let the cake sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cake to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chill for several hours or overnight. If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries, canned cherries or other fruits.

Makes 16 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 327 calories, 24 g fat, 137 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium. *

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.