Unexpected Cheesecake for Shavuot

Shavuot begins this year on Thursday evening, May 21. It is the second of the three pilgrimage holidays. It comes seven weeks after Pesach and celebrates the revelation of Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. 

The other pilgrimage holidays are Pesach and Sukkot, which both last seven to eight days, depending on whether you are in Israel or not. Shavuot is only a one (or two) day holiday. All three holidays are Festivals, with a capital F – they celebrate Biblical Jewish events and seasonal agricultural cycles. Pesach begins with Seder, the retelling of the Exodus story, and is especially focused on children. Sukkot also lends itself to child-friendly activities – making decorations for the Sukkah, eating in the Sukkah, and shaking lulav and etrog.

In contrast, Shavuot, while also a festive celebration, seems more adult-focused. It is traditionally marked by intensive Torah study, often lasting all night… and cheesecake.

There are several interpretations about why we eat dairy on Shavuot. Most of them are related to us just having received the Torah and therefore not having time to prepare any meat according to the new laws of kashrut. Some sages feel that dairy (and vegetarian) foods are more humble than meat meals, and what is more humbling than standing before God at Sinai? Still others have said that it seems inappropriate to begin our eternal covenant by taking a life for our own sustenance. Regardless, modern Ashkenazi tradition gives us blintzes and cheesecake – both excellent and delicious choices. 

I love the juxtaposition of savory and sweet foods in unexpected ways. This recipe is a perfect example – Savory Pesto Cheesecake. This recipe has a lot of steps, but it isn’t hard. And you can absolutely use store-bought pesto. 

Before we get to the recipe, here are some tips to help you turn out this beautiful cheesecake spread.

Cleaning Basil – the key to this flavor bomb dish is the fresh basil and toasted walnuts. To wash basil or any leaves, fill a large bowl or your clean sink with cold water. Pick the leaves off the large stems, then swish them around in the water until the dirt settles to the bottom. Scoop the clean leaves off the top; dry in a salad spinner or wrapped in clean kitchen towels. The recipe makes more than you need for the cheesecake. Use the rest on fish, fresh mozzarella, or pasta. It freezes well; ice trays make perfect portions.

Toasting Nuts – always store nuts in the refrigerator or freezer; they get rancid faster than you think, left at room temperature. To toast nuts, throw them in a dry, non-stick pan, large enough to hold them in a single layer. Use medium heat and WATCH them, tossing frequently. They’re done when you start to smell the aroma, and they begin to brown just a little bit. But pay attention; they can go from perfectly toasted to burned in a hot second. Taste one before toasting and another after. You’ll see why I always toast nuts, no matter the recipe. 

Softening Cream Cheese & Butter – you will have a problem with this recipe if your cream cheese isn’t soft enough to blend with the other ingredients. You may have encountered a similar problem with butter that is too hard. The only way to get them soft enough is to leave them out overnight. Yes, I said it. Over. Night. In fact, as long as it’s covered, butter can live on your counter and always be ready for smooth spreading on a piece of soft bread. We can talk about food safety another time, but if you are working with name-brand cream cheese that is manufactured and sealed in a sterile facility, you can leave it out overnight. It won’t go bad or make you sick.

Kosher Gelatin – it’s kind of a long story, but the kashrut of gelatin is complicated. For many years, kosher-certified gelatin didn’t gel properly, which made some things impossible for kosher cooks. Based on my studies and the opinion of my rabbi, I use uncertified Knox gelatin. But I recently discovered a brand of kosher gelatin that does, in fact, gel – BaKol. It is primarily made from carrageenan, a plant-derived product some people avoid, but it works. 

Thanks to my Mom’s BFF, Gloria Nadel z”l for this recipe.

Savory Pesto Cheesecake

You will need an 8-inch springform pan. The recipe also fills three 4-inch pans for minis. The cheesecake freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, add the topping, and leave it in the pan. Wrap in plastic wrap, foil, and then plastic wrap again. To serve, simply defrost and unmold.

First, Make the Pesto

Ingredients

4 C fresh basil leaves (reserve some nice leaves to garnish the cheesecake)

2 C chopped walnuts, toasted

1 C parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1 tsp kosher salt

2 C extra virgin olive oil

Directions

    1. Put basil, walnuts, cheese, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture begins to break down.
  • While the processor is on, slowly add olive oil. The final product should be a loose paste.

Second, Make the Cheesecake

Ingredients

1½ lbs cream cheese, room temperature, soft

3 eggs

½ C heavy cream

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1 C pesto

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and boil a kettle of water.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine cream cheese, eggs, cream, Worcestershire, and pesto.
  3. Combine well and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.
  4. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Pour cheese mixture into pan.
  5. Place pan in a larger baking dish. Pour boiling water into larger pan, until water is halfway up the side of the cake pan. 

SAFETY TIP – DO NOT try to move the larger dish when it’s filled with hot water. Slide the oven rack out, put the baking dish and cake pan on the rack; then pour the hot water in and carefully slide the rack back into the oven. When it’s done, lift the cake pan out of the water bath, leaving the large pan of hot water in the oven until it’s cool enough to handle.

  1. Bake 35 to 45 minutes.
  2. Carefully remove the cake pan from the hot water and place on a wire rack.

While the Cheesecake is Baking, Make the Topping

Ingredients

1 ½ C water, divided

1 C (4 oz) dry sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)

½ C raspberry preserves

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Directions

  1. Put tomatoes, preserves and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer, covered about 10 – 15 minutes, until tomatoes are soft.
  2. Let mixture cool a bit; add ½ cup water. Place in bowl of food processor and whip until mixed. It will still be a little chunky.
  3. Pour tomato mixture back into saucepan; heat until bubbles rise; stir to make sure mixture is hot all the way through. Do not leave unattended.
  4. Add gelatin; stir until it is completely dissolved.
  5. Remove from heat.

Assemble and Unmold

  1. Carefully spoon topping onto cake and spread evenly. Leave on wire rack to cool for about an hour; then move cake to refrigerator to cool completely through.
  2. When cake is cool, run a knife around the edge to loosen it. Unhinge the pan and lift from cake. Carefully run a knife underneath the parchment paper to release and slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter.
  3. Garnish with basil leaves and sliced cherry tomatoes. Serve with crackers or a baguette.