Easter desserts: Milwaukee Schaum Torte and Mini-Cheesecakes

3/28/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Easter came early this year. So, my mind started wandering down the path of wondering why the date and month vary from year to year. I looked it up and of course, the explanation was complicated. I chose the following because I could understand it. It is from the Roman Catholic church’s Loyola Press:

“In the early days of our Church (like today), there were many different beliefs. The society was agricultural and many religions used the seasons to celebrate special feasts. It was important, in teaching about Jesus, to have people connect the Gospel message to their daily lives. Since Jesus' resurrection was the beginning of a whole new life and occurred so near the spring feasts, it was determined that Easter would always be calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (that is, the first day of spring).”

Got it? Me too. Now we can start thinking about what we’ll be serving for Easter dinner. Most of us don’t vary the entrée and side dishes that we serve on that day. Some families enjoy baked ham, others eat prime rib. Vegetarians might enjoy a grilled vegetable platter with Portobello mushrooms. Still others may choose not to cook and go out to dinner at a restaurant instead.

After a big meal, my family looks forward to a nap and then something special for dessert. Spring has sprung and our tastes have lightened up but we all crave a sugary treat. Our tummies may be full from dinner but we all want to know—what’s for dessert?

Now, take it from me. If you’re having company, try any new recipe before you have company. Friends recently invited us to dinner and I offered to bring dessert. I tried a quick lemon cheesecake. I still don’t know where I went wrong but it didn’t set up and was tasteless. It was too late for a do-over, I took it, we ate some and threw the rest away. Embarrassing? You bet.

Following are two tried-and-true recipes. My husband’s grandmother and her sister were great cooks. They owned a German bakery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their maiden names were “Butter.” (That’s the truth.) Following is a Schaum Torte recipe, one of their family’s favorite desserts.  Also, if you want to feed cheese cake to a crowd, try the Philadelphia Mini-Cheesecake recipe. Delicious. Enjoy!

MILWAUKEE SCHAUM TORTE

Torte shell:

6 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring.

Preheat oven at 250° for one hour.

Butter a 9-inch spring form pan

In large mixing bowl, beat room temperature egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form.

Pour into pan, place in oven and bake for one hour. Turn off oven, leave door shut and let stay in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven to cool.

Betty’s Pineapple filling:

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch’

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually stir in pineapple juice. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool thoroughly.

Whipped cream:

1 cup whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Beat cream until nearly stiff, gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff.

To assemble:

Remove torte from pan. Spread filling across top and finish with whipped cream. Slice and serve 10 lucky guests.

EASTER MINI-CHEESECAKES

Kraft recipe

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons coconut

54 speckled chocolate eggs

Heat oven to 325° F.

Mix graham crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter; press into the bottoms of 18 paper lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon onto crusts in pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon toasted coconut shaped into a nest. Fill each nest with 3 speckled chocolate eggs. Serves 18.

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner at bchatty@bettykaiser.com