Cheesecake, Part Two

For our cross-cultural cheesecake, we used a blend of ricotta and cream cheese, along with a sour cream topping. We decided against separating the eggs, which we beat and added gently to the cheeses, sugar, and vanilla. The almonds we crushed into a crust; the chunks of white and semi-sweet chocolate we mixed with one-third of the cheese mixture and layered at the bottom of the cake.

Baked in a spring form pan at 275 degrees for 80 minutes, removed from the oven and topped with the sour cream and sugar mixture and the candied fruit. Bake another ten minutes. Cool on a wire rack, run a knife around the edge, then chill overnight in the refrigerator. Release from the pan and complete decorating (we piped on the 'vines' of green translucent icing). Served with dollops of simple raspberry sauce (berries cooked down with sugar for 12 minutes, a little Triple Sec added at the end. I like this far better strained of seeds.)

I was struck by how much the cake's texture resembled those my mother had made early in her baking career, when, perhaps, she'd been working from recipes more Sicilian in nature. I wish I'd paid more attention to the virtual vats of cheesecake she'd pull out of the oven on a regular basis. At any rate, there's inspiration to try again. Next time, we might use all white chocolate, or skip the chocolate layer altogether. Maybe lighten the crust with flour.

Someday, we'll get it just right.