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Monday 22 March 2010

I Need Your Family Secrets!



In late May or early June I will have an exam at Tante Marie... the “Celebration Lunch” exam to be precise. It is a similar vein to the budget lunch exam I did a few weeks ago, except this time I have a larger budget to play with.

The mission should you choose to divulge your family secrets.... is to tell me what your favourite recipes are for a cheesecake biscuit base and/or your favourite crumble topping recipe. I have my own recipes for both, but to be honest they are fairly bog standard, tasty but lack that little something. I am looking for a few little quirks that could help elevate these dishes to something a little more special. Maybe you like to put toasted oats in your crumble mix, or maybe you have a favourite biscuit that you like to use for your cheesecake base.


Whatever it is, I would like to know about it. There is absolutely no kind of reward for your family secrets other than a smile and a thank you from yours truly. At this stage I don't want to go into any detail about my plans for the desert, all I will say is that it is fruit based, so maybe that will have some impact on your recipes? Maybe not though!

So “help a bruva out” and dish up those recipes, all weird and wonderful ideas will be considered.... and who knows, I may decide to use your idea and then publish the pics of the final dish here, making you so very very nearly famous as a result!

Find the little link below this post that says 'comment' and spill thoses beans... do it now!

Thanks in advance,


Dylan

p.s. Mother – don't bother posting your recipes, I have endured them on enough occasions to know they don't coupé le moutard. You will just be wasting everybody's time. ;-p

13 comments:

  1. I used to use shortbread for my biscuit base for my cheesecake.It was lovely and rich.

    But now that my grand daughter has ceoliacs I am experimenting with my own biscuits made with almond meal and gf flour. I just cream butter and sugar, add an egg, vanilla essence, then fold in roughly 50/50 almond meal and gf flour. Then cook the bickies and when they are cool I crush them up like normal biscuits.

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  2. The wife and I do our crumbles in what's known in the US as a "crisp," with oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter.

    Recipe/instructions/photos here: http://hungryamateurs.blogspot.com/2009/11/nice-pear-la-poire-pulpeuse.html

    Our version is much more oaty, buttery and sugary than most people prefer, so you can make it a bit more crumbly, so to speak, by increasing the ratio of flour.

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  3. I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for but I made a gluten-free cheesecake for a friend of mine and used flourless peanut butter cookies crumbled as my base. My filling was a marbled chocolate cheesecake filling so to tie it together, I froze Peanut Butter cups, chopped them up and put them on top with a chocolate drizzle.

    http://gardengourmet.blogspot.com/2008/05/better-than-sex-cheesecake.html

    Good Luck on your exam!

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  4. If I'm making crumble I use demerara sugar and throw in a handful of chopped nuts (almonds and/or hazelnuts) so it's nice and crunchy. And for cheesecake I use the bogstandard digestive biscuits & butter but I also add a squeeze of honey which makes it taste lovely.

    I wouldn't inflict my mother's cooking on you though, especially if you want to pass your exam.

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  5. Crunchy Nut cornflakes, softened smooth peanut butter and butter (I usually throw them in until it looks and tastes good so I don't have the proportions).

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  6. I have a favourite Aussie Lemon Cheesecake recipe from a cookbook I have about cakes from around the world. What I think sets this cheesecake apart is the pistachios in the base. I have popped the recipe on Foodwise on Jamie Oliver's site.
    http://www.jamieoliver.com/foodwise/article-view.php?id=2818

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  7. I have an idea that's very simple & basic. Most people when they try my cheesecake love it, but then can't identify what that "certain" something different in it is. When I first started making my cheesecake base this way and told people what I did, I was surprised that many people would tell me that they'd never thought or heard of it.

    Instead of using plain or regular graham crackers, I use cinnamon graham crackers (come coated in cinnamon & sugar). I never thought I was doing anything unusual, until I started seeing people's reactions when I told them.

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  8. Hello...

    I use graham crackers, cinnamon, butter and sugar....tastes perfect..

    Check it out on my page:
    http://www.zestyflavors.com/2010/02/for-my-valentine-ny-style-cheesecake.html

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  9. Son, Thanks for the parting shot. Note the garage door is open and your sleeping bag has taken residence inside !

    PS: by the way, it is LA MOUTARDE !!! get your act together ;o)

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  10. Dylan,

    The best cheesecake I make is Rose Levy Beranbaum's from her forum. The texture is divine.

    I must ask -- were you rude to your mother, or is this a family joke that will bring a smile to her face? The latter, I hope.

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  11. Thanks for all the comments!

    You have all given me some ideas to mull over once I finish my work experience.

    Oh and Kathleen... the answer to your question is in the comment right before yours!

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  12. I have a recipe that does not use biscuits at all. It makes a 9 inch base.
    2 oz unsalted butter at room temp
    2.25 oz all purpose flour
    1.75 oz finely chopped pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
    2 tbsp brown sugar

    you will have to change the ounces to grams but it should be easy to convert. It adds a nice depth of flavour.

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  13. To Marie Christine:

    You go girl!!!!!!! ;-)))

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I look forward to reading your comments whether they are good, bad or indifferent!

Dylan