French Cheesecake | Simple By Cindy

Now that the restrictions for covid are lifted a bit, there are so many things I look forward to doing. Before the pandemic, each year my family would take a vacation to someplace we had never been. I did not travel as a child, so I wanted my sons to understand that there are places in the world where people live differently than they do.

Travel helps young kids in trying new things and saying “yes” to new experiences. Riding an elephant, sledding in snow, zip lining in the jungle, and camping in the desert are all new experiences that my kids have loved trying. Travel opens up endless possibilities in their tiny minds, and they become open and used to trying new things, even when they’re timid or unsure.

Traveling has an added bonus of helping to teach geography to kids. They are interested in finding their destination on a map, looking at flags, learning the capitals, and visiting famous monuments of the different countries they visit. These are life skills that will serve them well as adults traveling with their own families and friends.

My favorite part of traveling is getting to taste all the different types of food from around the world. Of course, for my older son, who was a very picky eater, this was eye opening. Instead of chicken nuggets or pizza, he had to look at a menu and choose from a variety of foods that were way out of his repertoire. My younger son, however, was eager to try everything available. Nature versus nurture, I suppose.

The best part of traveling with my kids was watching them learn for the first time. Seeing their faces light up as they take in the scenery, learn the history, or try something new is such a joy. My children’s curiosity, imagination, and sense of adventure opened up so many wonderful things that took them well beyond their small world at home. It helped them become more adaptable and flexible. It taught them that people may look different, but we are all the same. Diversity is something to be respected and celebrated.

Even though they are adults now, we will still plan trips as a family. There is so much world out there for us to see, and they are as hungry for those experiences as we are. I am more hopeful each day that we will get past this stage of staying in place and are able to get out and interact with the world once again.

But before I do, I’m going to try my best to bring the delights of the world into my home, and hopefully yours too. This French cheesecake is simply delicious. It is such a nice, but different take on cheesecake. Of course, the French are famous for their cheese, so it only makes sense that they would add another cheese to make it even better–the addition of the brie brings on another depth of flavor to ordinary cheesecake (which is just a good by itself, don’t get me wrong here). The two cheeses, along with the eggs, ensure a luscious, creamy filling that is deliciousness in every bite. The raspberries (you can use any fruit of your preference) are a welcomed sweetness that make this cake perfection.

This cake is courtesy of Delish and will serve 8 people on a mental vacation to a French cafe.

Ingredients for French Cheesecake:

For the Crust:

⅓ cup Sugar
6 T Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup All Purpose Flour

For the Filling:

16 oz Light Cream Cheese
8 oz Camembert Cheese or 8 oz Brie Cheese
½ cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Fresh Raspberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Make the Crust:

Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add vanilla.