It didn't take mankind long to discover the rich, luxurious taste of cheesecake.
Using goat cheese, the Romans baked cheesecakes in breadlike loaves. At Henry
IV's coronation feast in 1399, cheesecakes were on the menu, along with such
other opulent delicacies as peacocks, egrets, and cranes. And let us not forget
Lady Mary Wortly Montagu, an English noblewoman who lived in Brescia, Italy,
in the mid-18th century. She wowed the local citizenry with her cheesecakes,
about which she wrote: They "are receiv'd with universal applause, and
I have reason to believe (they) will preserve my Memory even to Future ages."
History may have forgotten Lady Montagu, but cheesecakes live on, more popular
than ever. In fact, probably the most famous of them all was created right here
in the United States, and not that long ago: the Lindy, named after the famed
restaurant that stood in the heart of Manhattan's theater district for 44 years.
Creamy and dense, it's considered the definitive New York-style cheesecake.
And no wonder -- created by owner Leo Lindemann, the recipe calls for 2 1/2
pounds of cream cheese, five eggs, two yolks, and heavy cream -- not exactly
light cooking.
Then again, few cheesecakes are. And that's where we step in: We've
created breakthrough recipes that match traditional cheesecakes in richness and
texture while cutting the fat by at least half. We've simplified our recipes,
too: The cream cheese mixtures are done in one bowl -- no egg whites to beat
separately and fold in. Additional ingredients are either folded in, mixed in
the crusts, or placed on top.
The low-fat crusts are another triumph. Beating egg whites with sugar and margarine,
then mixing in cookie crumbs, produces a crisp crust that is far lower in fat
than conventional ones. We kept the fat further in check with a mixture of fat-free
and reduced-fat cream cheeses. To reduce the risk of cracking, the cheesecakes
are baked at low temperatures; to help them set gently, they're kept in a
turned-off oven for about an hour or so after they're done.
So here's to cheesecake triumphs, the future -- and Lady Montagu, whom
we haven't forgotten.
