CHEESECAKE info
It is often asked how cheesecake became a staple of the Bratfest menu.
It is not entirely clear. But the cheesecake does date back to the first
Bratfest. It is likely that there was discussion of needing something
sweet as a desert item, to complement the savory main menu. And if
Wisconsin is famous for cheese, then why not incorporate (some form)
of cheese into the desert? Wisconsin actually is NOT known for
chseesecake, nor is it particularly popular. This was our own twist.
We had it in year one, using very good recipes (following), and it has
been a mainstay since.
For the first year or two, we had only one recipe, the standard
cheesecake. It was usually topped with some sort of fruit
compote (peach, cherry, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry).
Often, participants could choose a plain piece and adorn it with one
of several available compotes.
Around about year 3, the Grasshopper Cheesecake was introduced
(I belive thanks to Faith Vilas), and was a favorite of many.
We've often been asked whose mom provided the cheesecake recipe. It turns
out no mom. The actual recipe is linked here, from the original
source that still stands proudly among many cookbooks. If you read it,
you can see that we chose the "professional" option and dumped the
cottage cheese in favor of double cream cheese.
Bratfest Cheesecake - the original source
Below are early versions of the recipe, for historical reference, as translated by Bob Marcialis for
ease of use at 4 am or after having plenty of beer. Noted are times that
one should have a beer.
Cooking times and temperatures have been modified over the years to
account for speciic ovens, elevations, etc.
The recipes in the
Fest FAQ link on the main page may give more reliable results, as they
are more recently modified.
As noted there, you
will have to adjust time and temp to suit your circumstances.
Also as noted, it is best to make them the night before so they
can cool and add toppings just before serving.
Be sure to use graham cracker crusts
for the regular cheesecake.
Bratfest Cheesecake Recipe
Grasshopper Cheesecake Recipe