NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY

National Cheesecake Day on July 30th offers a slice of one of America’s favorite desserts. Order up a slice of cheesecake with your favorite topping. Get it delivered or make it at home.

This smooth dessert hits the spot when dessert time rolls around. While most cakes have a crumb, cheesecake’s texture is nothing like cake. Indeed, its creamy, thick pudding-like character comes from the soft cheese used as the main ingredient.  Depending on the recipe, either cream cheese or cottage cheese is used. When the cheese is mixed with sugar, eggs, and other ingredients, the batter is added to a crust.

When making cheesecake, one of the most common crusts used is a graham cracker crust. Other options include a cookie crust, pastry or sponge cake. However, some cheesecakes are crustless. Depending on the recipe, cheesecakes may be prepared baked or unbaked.

When faced with choosing a cheesecake flavor, don’t panic. While the options may seem overwhelming, bakers solved this problem. They offer a variety of flavors in one cake. So, take one home and try each one. Since cheesecakes do come in a wide variety, consider your tastes. If you prefer summer fruits and berries, cheesecakes have you covered. Tropical options hit the spot, too. For coffee lovers, bakers provide a rich selection. And don’t forget delicious chocolate and nutty flavors. Each cheesecake may be served with fresh fruit, a sauce, whipped cream or plain. 

History of the Cheesecake

When it comes to searching cheesecake history, we look to ancient Greece. A form of the dessert comes up as recipe served to athletes.  It has been found that the earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes.

James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese in 1912.  In 1928, Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Today, cheesecake makers use this brand more than any other. 

Styles of Cheesecakes:

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCheesecakeDay

Whether you make one at home or pick one up at a bakery, savor the creamy taste of cheesecake!  Post on social media using #NationalCheesecakeDay and share your favorite variety.

The Cheesecake Factory Email Gift Card
The Cheesecake Factory Email Gift Card

NATIONAL BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE DAY

On May 26th, two of the calendar’s favorite foods come together on National Blueberry Cheesecake Day. We’ve scattered blueberries and cheesecakes throughout these pages in scrumptious celebration. But one day a year they join forces in perfect, delicious harmony.

There was a time when people only gathered blueberries from the wild. It wasn’t until the early 1900s through the observations of Elizabeth Coleman White and the research of Dr. Frederick V. Coville that successful transplanting and domestication of the blueberry became possible. It wasn’t long after that commercial production of the blueberry began. 

Combine the history of the blueberry with the development of cream cheese, some might consider the blueberry cheesecake to be a truly American dessert. While recipes for cheesecake served athletes in ancient Greece, it was James Kraft who developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese in 1912. It’s this trade marked Philadelphia Cream Cheese that many cheesecake makers use today.

Either way, this smooth dessert hits the spot when dessert time rolls around. While most cakes have a crumb, cheesecake’s texture is nothing like cake. Indeed, its creamy, thick pudding-like character comes from the soft cheese used as the main ingredient. Depending on the recipe, bakers use either cream cheese or cottage cheese. When the cheese is mixed with sugar, eggs, and other ingredients, the batter is added to a crust. Either add the blueberries now or save them for a beautifully fresh and vibrant topping.

When making cheesecake, one of the most common crusts used is a graham cracker crust. Other options include a cookie crust, pastry or sponge cake. However, some cheesecakes are crustless. Depending on the recipe, cheesecakes may be prepared baked or unbaked. 

Explore More..

HOW TO OBSERVE #BlueberryCheesecakeDay

Enjoy a slice of blueberry cheesecake. You can even pick one up from your favorite bakery. Be sure to give them a shout out, too!

Post photos of your celebration on social media using #BlueberryCheesecakeDay.

Amazon Fresh prime delivery

NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DAY

National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day on March 6th offers another way to celebrate one of our favorite desserts. 

Cheesecake is a sweet dessert that is a mixture of soft fresh cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs and sugar on a crust made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry or sponge cake. Cheesecakes can be prepared baked or unbaked and are often served topped with fruit, chocolate or whipped cream. There are many flavors in which cheesecakes can be prepared. However, this day honors the white chocolate cheesecake

Now, white chocolate is not chocolate in the strictest sense. It doesn’t contact cocoa solids. During the process of manufacturing chocolate, the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean separates from the fatty content. With milk or dark chocolate, these solids are reincarnated. However, when making white chocolate, these solids don’t return to the mixture. Additionally, white chocolate contains less caffeine than its darker counterparts. It also loses some of the health benefits as well since it tends to contain more fat and sugar. Add it to an already rich dessert and, well, decadence should be expected. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay

Make a white chocolate cheesecake to celebrate. We’ve provided several recipes to try. Or, visit your favorite bakery and give them a shoutout!

White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Fluffy White Chocolate Cheesecake
No-Bake WhiteChocolate Cheesecake
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

More Cheesecake…

Use #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay to post on social media.

GREAT AMERICAN PIES MONTH

February makes an excellent time for Great American Pies Month. Fill the whole month by tasting delicious pies from around the country! How many pies will it take to find your favorite?

Pie makers get ready to count the ways of making pies. From crust to filling, we dream of the mouthwatering goodness that goes into each slice. Where do we even begin?

Apple springs to mind, of course. There’s no doubt there. And blueberry pie is popular, too. National Cherry Pie Day is the only one celebrated in February. In Texas, they make a dewberry pie. We could, no doubt go on until we reach zucchini pie. Somewhere in all those, we would find key lime and Mississippi Mud, pecan, and peanut butter. We can’t forget coconut or lemon meringue. For those with an extra sweet tooth, head to Indiana for the sugar cream pie. Did we forget the traditional pumpkin pie?

But in the middle of a cold winter’s day, one way to warm up the whole house and the people in it is with a savory pot pie. Stuffed inside a flaky golden crust are the tender chunks of vegetables, beef or chicken, and a thick and hearty broth steaming full of goodness.

GREAT AMERICAN PIE MONTH HISTORY

Crisco helped start Great American Pies Month in 1990.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #GreatAmericanPieMonth

We didn’t come close to naming all the best pies in America. However, that’s not what the month is about. It’s about enjoying them. Bake them, share them, eat them. Use #GreatAmericanPiesMonth to share your favorite pies and recipes on social media.

Turkey Tips and Tricks

I have a short cut I’ve used for years. I worked in retail for almost 20 years. Due to health issues, I can now ignore Black Friday hours. As much as I love the deals, having worked retail all those years, I want Amazon to deliver it!

While having to get up for work at 1am…no that’s not a typo. Get up at 1am, be at my store by 3am. While I do not miss those schedules, I learned some tricks that I still use when cooking Thanksgiving dinner. The biggest complaint I hear is how much work it takes, and spending all day in the kitchen. So with that in mind here are my turkey tricks…

Make sure to observe Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day! This is the perfect day get the fridge Thankgiving dinner ready. Even if your not hosting this will come in handy if you’re taking something along too.

If doing a whole turkey, even for just a few do the bigger one. The work to cook a big or small bird is about the same. 10lbs or 22lbs, you still have to defrost, clean, baste, roast, etc. So do the bigger bird and make it worth your time. Turkey’s go on great sales you have leftovers for 3 or more meals is a great investment of your time and money.

Circulon Nonstick Roasting Pan / Roaster with Rack - 17 Inch x 13 Inch, Gray

#Thanksgiving
Circulon Nonstick Roasting Pan / Roaster with Rack – 17 Inch x 13 Inch, Gray

Just you 2? If your staying in and still want that traditional turkey? Try a turkey breast. Bone in or a Butterball Turkey breast roast are great alternatives. We like the roasts with both white and dark meat. You can cook traditionally in the oven, but a great time saver is your crockpot. You can add broth and water to keep it moist. Put it in the night before and you’re done. You can even toss potatoes and veggies to make a 1 (crock)pot dinner.

Crock-Pot Large 8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Auto Warm Setting and Cookbook, Black Stainless Steel
#Thanksgiving
Crock-Pot Large 8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Auto Warm Setting and Cookbook, Black Stainless Steel
We do this other times of the year too.

Set it and forget the basting, constant lifting, turning it over… On low with plenty of broth it’s almost fool proof.

Explore More…

Use your extra time to cuddle up together. Enjoy a holiday movie, the football game, or something new. Read a book, or plot your shopping trip if you are doing ‘Black Friday.” However you spend it enjoy the memories you make big or small, they last far beyond the leftovers.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

— William Arthur Ward