Holiday Dessert, All Grown-Up

March is finally here, and you know what that means? St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner! I'm guessing that St. Paddy's Day is probably not a big holiday for most families, and while it wasn't a huge holiday at our house, certainly not like Christmas or Thanksgiving, it does hold a certain special place in my heart, being that my father's side of the family is Irish (well, Irish and Italian, actually). And while the Irish aren't exactly known for their gourmet menu items, they do know how to throw a good party and celebrate a holiday in style... I mean, this is the only holiday I can think of where you have an excuse to make and eat green food, naturally green or maybe not so much...think green eggs, green beer... I know, I know, kind of gross, but kind of fun too. Especially when you're a kid....

For my sister and I, St. Paddy's Day started out with the ritual of selecting just the right outfits to display our Irish green with pride. And not just because we didn't want to get pinched, but because, by golly, we really are Irish, and this was the one day we got to brag about it! And of course, it was always better to wear more than one shade of green if possible, just in case a quarrelsome classmate insisted that something you were wearing wasn't really green. (And in case you're wondering, green underwear does not count! Your green has to be clearly visible from the outside!) We each had a pair of green shamrock earrings as well, that my dad had gotten for us to wear especially for this holiday. When school got out, my mom would take us to the local McDonald's to get a Shamrock shake. Does anyone else remember these yummy, minty green milkshakes? Sometimes, I feel like I must have dreamed them up, since no one I have ever asked seems to know what I'm talking about. For dinner my mom would make something Irish-inspired, like the infamous corned beef and cabbage that everyone associates with this holiday, or maybe a lamb stew with Irish soda muffins (similar to the recipe that Heather put in a previous post), and then it would be time for dessert.... Leprechaun Pie.

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe, but it was most definitely a hit in our house...complete with whipped cream and marshmallows, creme de menthe, and a chocolate graham cracker crust, and of course a few drops of green food coloring. A minty, frozen, slice of deliciousness. And while I have fond memories of Leprechaun Pie, I thought it might be time for a green dessert that was a little more sophisticated to share for St. Paddy's Day. This is the perfect holiday for a recipe I recently discovered, Green Tea Cheesecake. And some of you will be happy to know that the cheesecake is made naturally green by the green tea powder, no artificial coloring needed! The original recipe came from Bon Appetit, but I have modified it to my liking. And it is very easy to make...

Green Tea Cheesecake

• 1 generous cup ground shortbread cookies (about 6 oz.)
• 1-2 T melted butter
• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature (don't use light or whipped products)
• 1/2 cup packed fromage blanc*
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T baker's sugar (finely ground sugar used in baking)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp Japanese green tea powder**

Sour Cream topping:

• 1 1/2 cup sour cream (don't use light or nonfat)
• 1/2 cup baker's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
  

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grind cookies in food processor until you have medium sized crumbs. Add in the melted butter just until crumbs start to come together - you may not need all 2 tablespoons of the butter. Then dump crumb mixture into an 8 inch springform pan and press firmly onto the bottom (not sides) of the pan. You then need to wrap the outside of the pan with 3 layers of foil to prevent leakage during baking.

2. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, fromage blanc, and sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 T) in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition. Beat in green tea powder until smooth. Pour batter over prepared crust.

3. Place cake in roasting pan or other deep, large pan. You will need to add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Place roasting pan with cake in the oven. Bake until set, but center moves very slightly when gently shaken, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

4. Make sour cream topping by blending the sour cream, sugar ( 1/2 cup) and vanilla until smooth. Once cake is finished baking remove from oven and turn oven up to 400 degrees. Pour sour cream topping onto the cake and smooth with spatula. Put back in the oven for 5 minutes. (You do not need to use the roasting pan at this point. You can place the cake directly on an oven rack. Also, you do not need to remove the foil. You can remove this after the cake is completely done.) The cake will look the same, but the sour cream topping will be set.

5. Cool the cake on a rack for at least one hour at room temperature. Refrigerate the cake uncovered overnight before serving. Do not remove the outer ring of the springform until the next day, when the cake is completely set. You may want to run a thin knife around the inside ring of the pan before removing.

* Fromage blanc can be found in most specialty food stores, such as New Seasons, Zupans, or Whole Foods. Some regular grocery stores might have it as well, though I couldn't find it in Safeway.
** Green tea powder can be found at Uwajimaya or other Asian markets. You might also find it at some specialty food stores. If you are having trouble locating some, an alternative is to take some green tea bags, remove the green tea and then crush it up finely with a mortar and pestle. The downside to this (from experience) is that the cheesecake looks a little like it has a a certain illegal substance in it. Also, the cake does not taste as "green tea-y", and has only a hint of the green tea flavor and color. Though it might not look quite as pretty, it still tastes pretty fantastic.

This cake tastes excellent on its own. However, some people like sauces with their cheesecakes... In the picture, I show the cake served with a raspberry sauce that tastes delicious with it, and adds some beautiful color as well. I find that the easiest way to make the raspberry sauce is to take a 10 oz bag of frozen raspberries and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Add approximately 4 T sugar, and a dash of lemon juice. Heat the raspberries and mash them up as much as possible, for approximately 10 minutes or so. Then press them through a strainer so that you have the sauce without all of the seeds. My mother makes this same sauce by simply processing the raspberries in a food processor and then pressing the berries through a strainer. She adds the sugar to the sauce at the end (you will not need as much sugar with this method). I find that with this method, it is more difficult to press the berries through the strainer. Something about heating them up first makes the pressing easier. But either method is fine. And both taste terrific (and can be used to top lots of different desserts!)

I hope you all have a great St. Patrick's Day holiday. Luck o' the Irish to ya!

- Colleen