Savoury Cheesecakes - “Sweetless” Delights

Like all things in this world, culinary styles also evolve. Cheesecakes from the history books were all made up of the three main ingredients: cheese, flour and sweetener. These decadent treats were somehow made to provide a soothing balance in every meal - a sweet balance that is. However, nowadays, people are searching for ways to modify the conventional cheesecake; from the usual after meal dessert to possibly the main course.

Although the quest for cheesecakes as the main event during meals is still going on, fortunately enough, cheesecakes are now developing new methods of presentation and taste.

Fresh Cheeses

First of all, savoury cheesecakes differ from sweet ones in several aspects: the ingredients and the meal course. Although savoury cheesecakes can also be eaten as desserts, they are more popularly consumed as the hors d’oeuvres, most commonly known as appetizers.

There are several cheeses that are versatile enough to be used for either savoury or sweet cheesecakes. The Italian ricotta cheese is one kind of cheese perfect for savoury cheesecakes. Ricotta cheese is the byproduct of Romano cheese. In addition, ricotta cheeses can be made from cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk. This kind of cheese is now made from skim milk instead of whey.

Fresh cheeses can be used in making savoury cheesecakes. When picking the correct fresh cheese, you should remember that it should have a delicate, milky, light, floral perfume and a moist texture. Fresh cheeses are sometimes referred to as fresh curd cheese and have high moisture content and can be achieved from any milk. However, fresh cheeses have a short shelf life and in order to ensure that you only get quality fresh cheeses, always make sure to avoid any with a rancid, musty or sour aroma and a tacky or dull surface.

Savoury Cheesecakes with Fillings

Since most savoury cheesecakes are served as appetizers, it is only appropriate to serve them bite sized. An excellent example of such cheesecakes is the Savoury Cheesecake Bites. This kind of dish has two different fillings that can provide a wide variety of colors and taste: the smoked salmon, and the peppy pizza fillings.

For the ingredients, you will need three-fourth cup of dry bread crumbs, one package softened cream cheese, three tablespoons melted butter, two pieces of eggs, one and one-half teaspoon of all-purpose flour, one cup sour cream, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

The peppy pizza filling include two tablespoons of tomato sauce, one tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese, one-fourth teaspoon of dried oregano, one-half teaspoon dried basil, quarter of finely diced red pepper, and slivered red pepper. The Tex-Mex filling, on the other hand, include one tablespoon lime juice, one tablespoon chopped coriander, one-fourth teaspoon ground ginger and cumin and one-half teaspoon chili powder.

Firstly, get five miniature tart tins and spray nonstick cooking spray on them generously. In a separate bowl, combine the butter and the bread crumbs until they are moistened. Press one teaspoon of the mixture in each tart tin and bake in an oven for eight minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the cream cheese and eggs, one at a time in another bowl. Add in the salt, pepper and flour and include the sour cream. When done, divide the batter in two bowls.

You can prepare the fillings by combining each ingredient in separate bowls. Spoon one tablespoon of the filling over each tart base and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.