Today Is National Cheesecake Day!

National Cheesecake Day is today.

As food holidays go, this is one of the tastiest of treats. Cheesecake is a sweet dish consisting of one or more layers.The main, and thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese - cream cheese or ricotta, eggs, and sugar; if there is a bottom layer it often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake.It may be baked or unbaked usually refrigerated.

Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, fruit sauce, and/or chocolate syrup. The type of modern cheesecake that has an uncooked, cream-cheese filling on a cookie-crumb base is an American invention that differs greatly from English cheesecakes, which traditionally include dried fruits and spices and are baked in the oven.

Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland use quark. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a leak-proof springform pan, often paired with a water bath to more evenly distribute the heat. Because of the high density of most cheesecakes, they continue baking for some time after removal from an oven.

Despite being a rich, high calorie, and cholesterol filled, cheesecake is a very popular dessert. Why? Because it tastes so good. It is enjoyed plain, or with your favorite fruit topping.

Enjoy the day with a piece of cheesecake, along with your favorite topping. If you have time, make the cheesecake yourself.

Happy National Cheesecake Day!