Maureen's Kitchen

MAureen’s KitChen No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake

by: MAureen hAddoCK

This recipe has followed me from kitchen to kitchen, over ten moves, and is a memorable part of our family history. We call this dessert Black Forest Cheesecake, but it is actually a basic, no-bake refrigerator treat, perfect for the hot days of summer. It can be made the day ahead and leftovers freeze well. Some very wellknown guests have returned to my kitchen for seconds; I have promised not to name them.

This recipe has evolved through changes in ingredient packaging and availability, kitchen improvements and the ebb and flow of my family’s dietary issues. I made it ten summers in a row while houseboating on Lac La Ronge. I have also decorated it for every season, made it in many shapes, doubled it for a larger group and developed a gluten-free option. My latest adaptation involves portion-controlled

servings. One recipe of this cheesecake divides perfectly into twelve individual portions when made in a silicone muffin pan. My husband says these little desserts keep his calorie intake in check without creating a sense of deprivation. He gets a little upset when I send extra dessert cups home with my son-in-law.

My mother clipped the original recipe from a newspaper in the late 1960s. It called for either chocolate or vanilla instant Jell-O pudding. I made this dessert the first time in the early 1970s for a group of my favourite ladies from work. My kitchen was under-equipped and many ingredients that I use today were not available. Boxed Oreo crumbs weren’t yet a thing, so I crushed chocolate wafers with a rolling pin to make the crust. I made the filling with cream cheese and instant chocolate

pudding, as the recipe suggested, and topped it off with E.D. Smith Cherry Pie Filling. My co-workers raved, asked for the recipe, and I shared it even though it seemed too simple to write out.

Eventually, Jell-O offered a product called Whip ‘n Chill which was an instant mousse. It came in several flavours but the chocolate one became my go-to for this dessert. The resulting silky texture and rich flavour provided an unforgettable sensory memory.

One day, in the early 80s, I was shopping for ingredients and was unable to find my cherished Whip ‘n Chill. There was no ticket on the lip of the shelf indicating it would be back. In a panic, I began experimenting with other ways to make a simple, fluffy filling for this dessert. I folded Cool Whip into instant chocolate pudding, and it was adequate, but I missed the extreme silkiness provided by a mousse.

As time went on, I discovered Dr. Oetker’s Double Chocolate Mousse Supreme. I encourage you to make a Black Forest Cheesecake while this instant mousse is still available. When I find a row of Dr. Oetker’s Mousse, I buy a few extra packages

Maureen’s husband Gord prefers this treat when still slightly frozen.

No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake

CruST:

1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs 1/3 cup melted butter 2 tablespoons icing sugar Mix the above ingredients and press into a buttered pie plate, 8” spring-form pan or 12 silicone muffin cups. Refrigerate.

FILLInG:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 envelope Dr. Oetker’s Double Chocolate Mousse

Supreme Using an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add milk, whipping until silky. Sprinkle the powdered mousse mix, 1/3 at a time, into the cream cheese mixture, whipping until lump-free. When the filling looks smooth, spoon into the chilled crust and return dessert to the fridge for at least one hour.

ToPPInG:

Remove chilled cheesecake from fridge. Cover the centre of the cheesecake with the cherries from one tin E.D. Smith Cherry Pie Filler, using more cherries than sauce. I sometimes use a Saskatchewan Sour Cherry filling made by Cherry and Berry Delight. One of my friends makes a raspberry sauce using fresh or frozen raspberries and pours it over each serving. Delicious! Whatever fruit topping you use, sprinkle a few chocolate crumbs on top for garnish. To serve, run a knife around the pie plate to loosen the crust or release the sides of the springform pan, and slice the dessert into wedges. If you are using silicone muffin cups, run a butter knife gently around the edges and push the cup up from the bottom, releasing the tiny treats. Avoid using anything that could cut the silicone cups. Better yet, freeze the muffin size cheesecakes and they will pop out like a dream, looking extremely smooth around the edges. My husband now prefers to eat them slightly frozen. Take them from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving. I have often doubled this recipe and prepared it in a 9” by 13” rectangular springform pan. If you see such a pan, purchase it. There are so many ways to put it to good use. Serving a cup of coffee with a sliver of silky Black Forest Cheesecake will provide the best memory you can offer a guest. I love to watch people react to their first bite because inevitably someone exclaims, “This should be illegal!”

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to store in my pantry. Trust me, this recipe is worthy of immediate action.

Recently, I discovered gluten-free Oreos in the grocery store. My glutensensitive grandson once loved our Black Forest Cheesecake and has often helped decorate it for his grandfather’s birthdays. For this young man, I willingly separated the gluten-free cookies, removed the icing and crushed the wafers. The instant mousse and the cherry pie filler do not list gluten, so I gave it a try. I am hopeful that glutenfree Oreo wafer crumbs will be available soon, but my grandson’s enthusiasm for his dessert made the extra effort worthwhile.

For other simple, vintage no-bake desserts visit www.getabiggerwagon.com. A few to try: Lemon

Cheesecake Dessert and Layered Raspberry

Marshmallow Dessert.

Maureen Haddock

Recipes in italics at www.getabiggerwagon.com

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