August 14th is National Creamsicle Day. How about a “Creamsicle” Cheese Cake?

First, a bit of food history, and why we put the word Creamsicle within quotation marks:

The Popsicle® was invented by a 29-year-old husband and father working in the real estate industry during the Great Depression. Frank Epperson made what he called Epsicles for a fireman’s ball.

They were a sensation, and Frank obtained a patent for ”a handled, frozen confection or ice lollipop.” His kids called the treat a Popsicle, after their Pop. So Frank created Popsicle Corporation, which developed the Creamsicle® and collaborated with the Loew Movie Company for the nationwide marketing and sales of the product in movie theaters.

Here’s the history of the Creamsicle. Today, Creamsicle® and Popsicle® are registered trademarks of the Unilever Corporation. Any company wishing to use the name for a product must get a license from Unilever.

We adapted this recipe from Krista of BudgetGourmetMom.com. Check out her other delicious recipes!

Krista recommends that you make the cheesecake a day in advance, but you can get by with a few hours of chilling.

Bake one or order this Orange Cream Cheesecake from Sweet Street Desserts.

Ingredients
 
For The Graham Cracker Crust

 
For The Cheesecake

For The Orange Creamsicle Layer

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F.

2. COMBINE combine the butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Pat into a 9″ springform pan. Set aside.

3. WHIP the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time; then beat in the sour cream.

4. POUR the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and crack the oven door for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled…

6. PLACE in the freezer for an hour. Remove from the freezer and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least two hours; but it is preferable to chill it overnight.

7. TO SERVE: Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to separate the gelatin layer from the side. Unhinge the pan and gently lift the bottom from the cheesecake.
 
 
FOOD TRIVIA: THE CHEESECAKE IS A PIE!

A cheesecake is not a cake, but an open-face custard pie. Unlike a cake, there is no raised layer made with flour.

Rather, like a pie, it has a bottom crust into which a filling (a cheese custard) is poured and baked.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Here are the first place winners in the top 5 categories (based on the volume of cheese sold in the U.S.), including sub-categories:

MOZZARELLA

 
CHEDDAR CHEESE

The best string cheese in America: Farmer’s Rope String Cheese from the Crave Brothers of Wisconsin. Photo courtesy EdibleMadison.com.

The best cheese of 2015 is Celtic Blue Reserve from Glengarry Fine Cheese in Ontario. Photo © Misa Me Photography.

MONTEREY JACK CHEESE

 
SWISS CHEESE

 
PARMESAN CHEESE

 
BEST OF SHOW

 
The awards mentioned here represent just a few of this year’s categories and winners. To see the complete list of awards in all categories, visit The American Cheese Society website.

We saw this photo on GourmetAttitude.com and thought: We must make this!

It’s a miniaturized Caprese Salad, with these substitutions:

 
It’s a beautiful summer salad; and since good cherry tomatoes can be found year-round, it’s also a treat for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

For more food fun, you can serve the salad in individual Martini glasses.

RECIPE: SUMMER SALAD WITH FLOWERS

Ingredients

Cacio di Roma. Photo courtesy Cheese Of The Month Club.

You can dress the salad in oil and vinegar, allow guests to pour their own from cruets, or drizzle olive oil and vinegar on the plate before adding the salad, and allow guests to “swoosh” the tomatoes in it.

1. TOSS the tomatoes with a small amount of salt. Combine in a mixing bowl with the drained bocconcini and herbs.

2. SERVE on a platter or shallow glass bowl or on individual plates.
 
WHAT IS CACIO CHEESE?

Formally called Cacio de Roma, cacio is a semi-soft Italian cheese originally made in the countryside outside of Rome from sheep’s milk. Cacio simply means cheese in some dialects (formaggio is the word used universally in Italy).

Like most recipes, Caprese salad has evolved.

The original name originated on the island of Capri, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The island has been a resort since Roman Times.

But Caprese Salad is a more modern invention, dating (by name, anyway) to the early 20th century. The original salad was made with four ingredients: cacio cheese, beefsteak-type tomatoes called cuore di bue (steer’s heart), whole basil leaves and olive oil.

Later, possibly after World War II when American tourists ventured to Capri (it was a Jet Set favorite), sliced mozzarella (fior di latte or bufala) replaced cacio and the recipe spread throughout Italy and overseas with the tourists who loved it.

In classic style, slices of mozzarella and tomatoes plus the basil leaves were overlapped on a plate, drizzled with olive oil.