How the Harvest Moon became a Cheesecake

It was a Harvest Moon last week from 9-10 September. I didn't know what it was, except having heard of it in Sex in the City when Samantha's latest boyfriend acted in a play with the same name and so she brought the glitterati from Manhattan to Brooklyn to support this otherwise nondescript staging. But apparently the Harvest moon is so called, as the farmers in the western part of the Northern Atmosphere used the light of the moon at this time to harvest in the night, due to its exceptional brightness caused by it being closest to the Earth as we move towards Autumn equinox. Who knew?  There's something interesting to be learnt every day right?

Anyway the big bright moon reminded me of a cheesecake. Don't laugh. It makes perfect sense. It's yellow and round and delicious. Many other foods have been inspired by a big full moon anyway, like the Chinese Mooncake or the American Moon Pies...and even Cookie Monster looked at the moon and saw a cookie!  And being berries season, I thought, what better to make a cheesecake and adorn it with jewel-like berries that will only make it better? So I searched for a low-fat recipe (so that I can scarf down half a cake at one sitting if necessary), bought them plumpcious blackberries, blueberries, rasberries and strawberries and got to work. By the way, eggs, milk and berries are breakfast ingredients too. Ergo cheesecake is also for breakfast. I like my logic :-)

My homage to the Harvest Moon Cheesecake (adapted from Kraftrecipes.com)

Ingredients

For the crust

• 4 low-fat graham crackers or 8-10 Oreos, crushed  
• 2 tbsp soft butter

For the filling

• 3 packs  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Yogurt or Low fat or Fat free Cream Cheese, softened
• 150g  sugar
• 1 tsp  lemon zest
• Juice of half a lemon (more or less depending on how tart you want the cake to be)
• 1/2 tsp  vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

For the topping

• Sliced fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries  
• Warmed strawberry jam, chocolate sauce or even Nutella

This is how we do it

Heat oven to 180 degrees

Using a food processor, add the butter and the graham crackers or Oreos until it becomes soft and sandlike. Press this to the bottom of the springform pan or a pie plate.

If you have no food processor, put the cookies in a ziplock or similar, and using a rolling pin or preferred implement for knocking, beat it till the cookies crumble. Then transfer to a bowl and add in butter which has been melted. Press this to the bottom of the pan.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and the vanilla extract with mixer until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each, until blended.
 
Pour the cream cheese mixture into the springform pan or a pie plate.
 
Bake for 45 min or until center is almost set.

Cool completely or refrigerate for 3 hours (while marvelling how much like the moon it resembles).

Adorn with berries and pour the warmed strawberry jam or chocolate sauce over it . And feast with your eyes and your tastebuds.

Om nom nom.