We had our Shavuot Luncheon yesterday at the Federation. Ok, I know it was a little late but really, the truth is that Shavuot is all about celebrating the gift of the Torah to the Jewish people! Can you really just set aside ONE DAY for that?? I think NOT!! So, celebrate we did!
Now, many of my non-Jewish friends will want to know the significance of eating dairy and cheese products for this holiday so in my own inept way I will say that it is due to the fact that Torah sustains G-d’s people with it’s life giving sustenance just as a mother’s milk sustains her young. Personally, just as some believe every day is Mother’s Day, I would tend to think everyday is a good day to celebrate this fact as well!
This is great news! But the bad news is…you probably would not want to look in the mirror if you ate cheesecake everyday! But when you do eat cheesecake….Israeli cheesecake is the one you should eat! It is well worth the lengths you may have to go to in order to obtain Gevina Levana! It is Israeli white cheese and I would say is a cross between sour cream and yogurt..only not sour but tart..oh heck, it’s just plain YUMMY and makes the best cheesecake that THIS cheesecake snob has ever tasted. From it’s slight coffee tasting butter crust to it’s creamy center and it’s sweet tart sour cream topping this one is the bomb!! If you hate coffee…(and don’t ask me to understand THAT) you could probably leave it out, but if you can even stand coffee..leave it in!
I got the cheese in Chicago…actually…someone else got it FOR me, but I did find a recipe to make your own if you have nothing but time on your hands and some patience.
Gvina Levana: Homemade White Cheese
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You will need:
1 liter/quart of buttermilk
a glass baking dish with cover
cheesecloth
Yield: 1 liter/quart buttermilk yields 1 to 1-1/2 cups cheese.
1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 F/165 C.
2. Pour the buttermilk into the baking dish. Cover the dish.
3. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Turn off oven, and do not open for 12 hours.
5. Pour the cheese into the cheesecloth, to drain. This will take 4 to 5
hours, so, in warm weather, it would be best to refrigerate it at this
point. (I would place the cloth with the cheese into a colander, place
that in a larger bowl or pot, and put into the refrigerator that way.)
And, there you’ll have it: Gvina levana!
**disclaimer…I was too lazy to try this…and I could never leave it in the oven overnight at the Federation, but if any of you do…let me know how it worked out**
Personally, with so many people coming and going to Chicago…save yourself the time and buy it. If you plan ahead…and I NEVER DO…you could maybe get our dear Mr. Gold to order it for you.
So, here is the recipe…and again I will say…this is the best cheesecake I have ever had….enjoy!
Champion Cheesecake
Israeli Cheese cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon decaf coffee (brewed)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- 26oz Israeli white cheese (Gevina Levana)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
Sour Cream Topping:
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Spray a 9×13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine butter, egg yolks, coffee, sugar and flour with your hands until crumbly. Press into cake pan as base for the cake.
3. In a bowl, combine eggs, white cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar and flour. Pour on top of cake base.
4. Bake 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes or until cheese does not wiggle. Remove and cool for 30 minutes.
5. Turn oven temperature down to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius).
6. In a small bowl, mix sour cream with vanilla sugar and sugar. Spread over cooled cake.
7. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes.
8. Refrigerate.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
Cake tastes best after it has been chilled for a few hours. It tastes even better the next day, and even better the day after that.
Kosher in the Kitchen 
Thanks so much this cheese cake really looks like a hit gotta try it out soon! very soon!
oh my gosh made this cheese cake recipe double of course ! & guess what they came out heaven is not the word! thanks for sharing this gr8 recipe!
This is the best cheesecake in the world. Who needs all that fluff with sprinkles and toppings and berries or cookie and chocolate chunks floating in a heavy calorie ridden slice of lard? The gavina levana is pure silk. Perfect for breaking a fast.