There’s a chill in the air - a promising, elusively familiar chill that somehow promises more warmth than the sunshine itself. My red-lacquered toes clad in premature sandals turn purple, a light sweater would be better replaced by a legitimate jacket, but still we go on, wearing our linen dresses and flip-flops, because that morning chill is full of promise. The promise of what we know is coming.

The warmth of Spring is all but in reach and that lingering chill is not so bitter as it once was.

Savory Lemon & Chive Cheesecake {Pedantic Foodie}

Life is a lot about giving up one wonderful choice, for what we hope will be a slightly more wonderful choice. Sometimes it’s voluntary. Sometimes we are forced into it and we have to take a few deep breaths to realize that everything we dreamed of may no longer be the best course of action. Sometimes it’s a bitter exchange, but one that we know is necessary.

During these Spring months, we bravely endure the cold toes and purple feet because we know that in several hours the Sun will peek her head through the budding trees and our fashion choices will once again seem reasonable. Just as with life, April is full of cold toes that turn into beautiful days.

This cheesecake has nothing to do with hard choices, but it has a lot to do with Spring. It’s radiant with the bright, fresh-from-the-garden flavors I so adore this time of year.

Though it is called a cheesecake, this is not a dish you would likely enjoy slicing and eating on its own. This "cake" is more of a spread, best enjoyed with your favorite crackers.

Shall we take a moment to appreciate how adorable this 4-inch springform is? It’s been in my cabinet forever and I finally found the perfect use.

Appetizers are one of my favorite things. Eating before I actually eat has never lost its childlike appeal for me.

This cheesecake makes a lovely pre-meal snack and is a welcome revision of the ubiquitous cheeseball.

While I absolutely, positively hate doing this… I’m going to make you do the whole water bath thing. I know it’s annoying, and I’m sorry, BUT, you will not enjoy this cheesecake half so much if you skip this step. Believe me, I tested it both ways.

Fortunately, a bit of sturdy tin foil will keep us from suffering too much heartache, and the seamlessly smooth texture is completely worth that extra effort.

This creamy, gentle onion and slightly acidic melody is everything. We are basically eating the farmer’s market on a cracker.

Life will keep giving us hard choices, but in the kitchen we are not called to compromise.

Spring is calling, purple toes and all. Let’s live it.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Savory Lemon & Chive Cheesecake

serves 4-6 / recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

- 3 tablespoons goat cheese

- 1 tablespoon pecorino romano

- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

- 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon lemon zest

- 1 egg yolk

- olive oil, for greasing

- 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

Grease a 4-inch springform pan with olive oil and pour in the cheesecake mixture. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a sturdy piece of aluminum foil.

Place the pan in the center of a pie plate and fill the plate with warm water, until it comes half-way up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center of the cake still moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Turn off the oven and keep the oven door ajar. Allow the cake to cool for one hour, then remove from the water bath. Remove the aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until cool.

When the cake has cooled, run a butter knife along the edges to loosen the cake and then remove from the springform pan. The edges will be soft and somewhat sticky. Gently press the finely chopped pistachios against the sides of the cake to form a rough crust. This cake is best when served cool, but not cold, so set it out 15-20 minutes before you plan on serving it. Enjoy!

I love appetizers. I like standing around the table, picking up small handfuls of grapes, raiding the cheese trays, and eating all the sliced apples. It stems from my love of snacking. It’s a problem, but admitting that in no way compels me to reform. If I had my way, lunch would always consist of a large tray of various cheeses, olives, apples, grapes, and warm baguettes. Throw in a big sweater and an old book and oh my goodness - totally idyll.

White Cheddar & Burnt Sugar Crackers {Pedantic Foodie}

The great thing about snacking is that no one (including you, thank goodness) can keep track of exactly how much you are eating. The wheel of brie disappears and no one in particular is to blame. It just disappeared when half a dozen people were standing around the appetizer table. That’s a good thing when you consume brie at the rate that I do.

A mid-afternoon snack craving inspired these crackers. Here’s what happened. I was with my sister, (that line is always a warning that ridiculous and fattening things will follow), when she whipped out a bag of cheddar and caramel popcorn. What? Too weird. I’m definitely not trying that…well, maybe a little bit.

“That's disgustin - wait… I’m going to marry this stuff! Give me that bag!” And that’s how it all went down.

Fast forward to the next afternoon when the popcorn was gone but the cravings were strong, and I started contemplating how I could recreate the enigmatic yet addicting snack. Of course, I could make my own cheesey popcorn, but then I would need to dehydrate cheddar and make it into a powder and yeah -- I was not going to go there.

However, crackers were a reasonable option. That would take care of the cheddar element. The caramel, however, stumped me at first. Then I remembered burnt sugar and I knew good things were about to happen.

Making your own crackers is not hard! Can you make shortbread? Then you can make crackers, I promise. The hardest part is not eating them all.

After the crackers cool a bit they are drizzled with a heavy dose of sticky, golden burnt sugar.

Burnt sugar is just what it says, burnt sugar. Not super burnt, but just brown enough to give us that caramel flavor and a touch of sweetness.

I paired these crackers with some crisp apple slices and it was a perfectly balanced snack tray. Think of the crackers as the cheese and the burnt sugar as the honey. It’s weird but it really works.

Snack lunching it up in here.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

White Cheddar & Burnt Sugar Crackers

makes about 70 crackers / recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

for the crackers

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sharp white cheddar, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold water

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine butter, salt and white cheddar. Mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes, the mixture will begin to form a ball. While continuing to mix on low speed, slowly add flour in increments until all the flour has been worked in. Add water, one teaspoon at a time. Add just enough water to form a rough dough, you may not need the full amount or you may need a little extra, depending on the humidity. The dough should not be wet or sticky, just moist.

Shape the dough into two discs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough chills preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to an 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the crackers. Use the end of a skewer to make several indentations into the center of each cracker.

Place the crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them about 1/4 inch apart, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. While the crackers are cooling, prepare the burnt sugar.

for the burnt sugar

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water and place over medium high heat. Stir several times and then fit the pan with a candy thermometer and allow to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees.

Remove from heat and drizzle the burn sugar over the cooled crackers with a fork. Work carefully and quickly, as the sugar with set up rapidly as it cools.

Allow the crackers to sit for about 10 minutes before eating - this will allow the sugar to fully set.

Serve immediately or store in airtight containers for several days. Enjoy!