Conquering the Cheesecake: My Journey to a Delicious Mango Delight
Conquering the Cheesecake: My Journey to a Delicious Mango Delight
Cheesecakes have always been one of those desserts that intimidated me. Despite my best efforts in the kitchen, a wave of nervousness would wash over me, even after the dish was complete. Have you ever tried making something new for the first time, only for it to turn out surprisingly delicious? That's exactly what happened on my recent cheesecake adventure.
I've always been intrigued by the process of making cheesecake, but I never quite mustered the courage to try it. While it might not seem like a task requiring bravery, for me, it was. The thought of a failed attempt and having to discard the entire thing was a strong deterrent.
This past week, as the second creation in my mango dessert series, I decided to take the plunge and make a mango cheesecake. What made it even more challenging was my limited knowledge and the few ingredients I had on hand. As a complete novice to cheesecake making, I knew it would be a test.
The Journey Begins: From Scratch to Stunning
My journey started with making cream cheese from scratch. This was a deliberate choice to truly understand the process, and it added an initial layer of complexity. After successfully crafting the cream cheese, I moved on to the crust, which turned out to be the easiest part. Crushing biscuits and mixing them with butter to form the base was straightforward.
The next step, blending all the cheesecake ingredients, proved a bit more challenging. I was using a manual whisk, which demanded significantly more effort than an electric one. In all that whisking, I nearly forgot to add a crucial ingredient: cornflour!
Then came the waiting game. Since I was making the cheesecake in a steamer instead of an oven, it took a full hour and a half to bake. While that might seem like a long time for a dessert, trust me, the results were incredibly rewarding.
Once the cheesecake was baked, I decided to elevate it with a layer of mango jelly. This was another first for me, as I was using agar-agar for the first time. Again, I was unsure how it would turn out, but to my surprise, the jelly set perfectly! The final decoration, with its three distinct layers of yellow, made the cheesecake look absolutely stunning.
The Ultimate Test: A Family Affair
Finally, it was time for the taste test. This time, I wasn't the sole judge; my maternal family members were. My nerves were at an all-time high. I kept telling them it was my first attempt, asking for their honest feedback on what went wrong and how I could improve. But as they tasted it, they were all genuinely impressed by my baking skills and showered me with praise.
I honestly couldn't believe it. I thought they might just be saying it to make me feel good, but as it turned out, the cheesecake was truly delicious. They weren't lying!
Have you ever had a baking triumph that surprised even you?
Steamed Mango Cheesecake (No-Bake, No-Oven)
Prep Time: 12–15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 6–7 people
Homemade Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- Full-fat milk: 4 cups
- Fresh cream: 1 cup
- Lemon juice: 2–4 tbsp
- Salt: A pinch
Method
- Combine milk and fresh cream in a pot. Bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add more if curds don’t separate completely.
- Strain curds through muslin cloth. Reserve the whey.
- Rinse the curds under cold water to remove sourness.
- Squeeze out excess water and rest for 5 minutes.
- Blend curds with a pinch of salt until smooth. Add whey if needed for consistency.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Steamed Mango Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Crushed biscuits (glucose or salt crackers): 1¼ cups
- Melted butter: 5 tbsp
- Homemade cream cheese: 1¼ cups
- Powdered sugar: ½ cup
- Corn flour: 1 tbsp
- Condensed milk: ⅔ cup
- Fresh cream: ¾ cup
- Curd (yogurt): ¼ cup
- Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
- Fresh mango puree: ½ cup
- Lemon zest: From 1 lemon
- Mango slices for decoration
Method
- Biscuit Base: Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter. Press into a springform pan and chill.
- Cheesecake Batter: Beat cream cheese. Sift in powdered sugar and corn flour. Mix until soft.
- Add condensed milk, fresh cream, curd, vanilla, mango puree, and lemon zest. Mix gently without over-beating.
- Pour the batter into the chilled pan. Tap lightly to release air bubbles.
- Cover with aluminium foil. Steam for 1 hour.
- Remove carefully. If still wobbly, steam an additional 5–10 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 2–3 hours.
- Decorate with thin mango slices arranged in a circular pattern.
Mango Jelly (Agar-Agar)
Ingredients
- Fresh ripe mango puree: 1 cup
- Water: ½ cup
- Sugar: 2–4 tbsp
- Agar-agar powder: 1 tsp
- Lemon juice: ½–1 tbsp (optional)
Method
- Whisk agar-agar into water until dissolved.
- Bring to a rolling boil for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Lower heat and add mango puree, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Simmer gently for 30–60 seconds. Do not boil hard.
- Immediately pour over the chilled, set cheesecake.
- Refrigerate for 1–2 hours until jelly is firm.
Tips for Best Results
- Use sweet, non-fibrous mangoes for best texture.
- Ensure agar-agar is fully dissolved; undissolved grains prevent setting.
- Work quickly once agar-agar is boiled; it sets as it cools.
- Straining mango puree gives a silkier jelly.
- Cheesecake lasts 3–4 days refrigerated.
Relished it
ReplyDelete