Lime Cream Cheesecake (RIP)

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, but I absolutely love fall. It's such a melonchaly, rusty, crunchy season, and it always makes me feel nostalgic. These last few days I've had some particular memories in mind of fall, and those are of a person with whom I was very close when I first moved to this city 12 years ago who passed away this summer, and yesterday would have been her 31rst birthday.

When I think of my first fall in Duluth, I have so many memories with Kari. We knew eachother a while, and had freakishly many things in common, from a sympathy and love of spiders to a borderline obsession with Hello Kitty. We took many of the same classes in our first semester of college, and many a night was spent at Perkins pretending to study biology while chain-smoking American Spirits and talking about dumb boys and music until the wee hours of the morning.

She was a girl that every day was Halloween for. Feathers in the hair, fun jewlery,  crazy contacts and tattoos, a sweet but sad smile, a real-life person. She was one of my closest friends for several years, and though we grew apart in the last few, we were always trying to get together. I'm very regretful now that we didn't try harder, but nothing can change that now I suppose.

As an artist I've always struggled with ways to deal with difficult life events with my work. Anger, discontent  and happiness seem a bit easier to express, but sadness, that's a tough  one for me. When I found out my old pal had passed away, a few days later I found myself that overwhelming kind of sad that you just can't shake without doing something. Like running, hitting something, or in my case, baking. I decided to make a Lime Cream Cheesecake, because like life, it's so bittersweet. I thought it a fitting emotion for a cake at the time, and it may seem silly, but that's how it went down.

 

Lime Cream Cheesecake

 

Crust:

-2 cups crushed graham crackers

-1/2 stick butter

-1 T. Sugar

Combine and press into sprayed 9 inch pie pan.

Cheescake:

-8 o.z. softened cream cheese

-2/3 cup sugar

-3 eggs

-1/2 cup sour cream

-1 t. salt

-1 T. vanilla

-zest of 2 limes

 

Topping:

-1 cup heavy cream

-1 t. vanilla

-2 T. powdered sugar

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor or stand mixer combine all ingredients  until blended but not bubbly. Pour into pie shell and bake 20-30 minutes depending on oven, until puffy but not watery or cracking. Let rest over night, then top with whipped cream and lime slices.

 

It turned out quite lovely, a pie that accurately depitced my feelings towards the cruel realities of the world in the sweetest way possible. Literally.



 

 

 

 

I guess the point behind this post is that we can express ourselves in so many different ways. One outlet I've found that works for me is baking. As anyone who loves to cook or bake will tell you, there is an infinite amount of soul you can put into food, and I think people can taste it. We can remember the people who've been remarkable parts of our lives  through stories, and sweet memories of late night girl talk and heavy metal, to a lovely pie to share with new friends.

 

I hope you've found peace, old friend. Rest well in it. xoxoxoxo