♫ CHEESECAKE♫

There are certain rules in our family, especially around birthdays. One of those is that not all birthday cakes are going to be traditional cakes, but some other favorite dessert instead. For example, Pop gets a lemon meringue pie for his "birthday cake". Usually, I work up a pie for myself, as well. And, extended family member Jackie gets no-bake cheesecake (the preparation of which always, always leaves me singing the above Louis Armstrong song for at least a day or two, as a properly embedded earworm).



The recipe I use is another tradition from Jackie's in-laws – her husband's father managed a Woolworth's or two, in his day, so a couple of their official recipes have fallen into our laps. At Thanksgiving, there's the official pumpkin pie, and in springtime, there's Woolworth's no-bake cheesecake.

Well, I make a variation on it, for those of us on a gluten-free diet, since the original uses graham cracker crust to which I have a bit of an intolerance.

This is low(ish)-fat (LOL not really), light, fluffy, and a bit of a zinger.

Without making you scroll further to find the recipe, here you go:

(Almost) Woolworth's No-Bake Cheesecake 

Ingredients:

(for crust)

3 1/4 cups almond flour (blanched or regular- your preference) (or, for the traditionalist, graham cracker crumbs)

1 cup powdered sugar

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

(for filling)

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed), chilled several hours or overnight

1 3-ounce package of unprepared lemon gelatin 

1 cup water, boiling

8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, brought to room temperature*

1 cup sugar

1-3 Tablespoons fresh, finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 whole medium lemons)

5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, well strained

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, completely combine all ingredients for crust, using fork or hands (or, if you're lazy, toss 'em in a food processor, & deal with washing up later). Reserve out 1/3 cup of mixture for later. Gently press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of a 9"x13" rectangular cake pan, allowing for a slight lip around the edges. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or freeze 15+ minutes).

 2. In a medium-small mixing bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water, stir until all particles are dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. When gelatin is cooled, add in cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat with mixer until creamy and sugar is completely dissolved.

4. Using whisk attachment (preferably in stand mixer), quickly beat chilled evaporated milk until at least doubled and forming soft peaks (I like to go a little beyond that point, for a lighter texture).†

5. Using a rubber spatula or whisk, fold cream cheese/gelatin mixture into whipped milk, gently stirring up from the bottom until it's completely mixed – but no more. You don't want to over-beat at this stage.

6. Pour this mixture onto the crust in the cake pan. Refrigerate several hours to overnight. Before serving, sprinkle the reserved crust crumbs all across the top of the cheesecake.

Can be served with fresh fruit, but we like it plain and simple.

*the fastest way to bring cream cheese up to room temp is to slice it into sections about 1/4 inch thick, & lay them out with a plastic sheet to cover them, & wait a half hour or so. I do not recommend trying to speed the process by adding microwave or stovetop heat.

†FTR, the first time I tried to make this recipe, I hadn't understood how hugely fluffy the whipped canned milk could make it. Not only did the filling overflow the 10-inch springform I had set aside for its use, but it meant I had a full 3 pints of leftover lemony cheesecake filling to polish off, all on my lonesome, the next week. I was willing to throw myself on that grenade, though, for the ones I love.

See the fluffiness! Experience the creamy, lemony tang!