Some observations/anecdotes/realizations on day #61 of (a now slightly loosened!) lockdown:

When you're in quarantine and have more time on your hands -- no commute! no trips to the gym! no dinners out! -- you're finally able to get around to all those items on your "To-Do List;" the ones that have been there, pending, for far too long. And indeed:

Pancakes & Biscotti is looking a little different this week, isn't it?!
That's right! A total revamp of the blog had been on my mind for ages, a task that I had brainstormed and looked into a few times before finding myself delayed by a long list of overwhelming questions (where to start?! what to ask for?! who to ask?!) not to mention other distractions in life that came up over the year (or two) -- starting a new job, moving in to a new apartment, etc -- that unfortunately made this task drop to the bottom of my list many times. Thanks to the superbly talented (and very patient) Giac Gabrielli -- see his work here! -- I finally (finally!) was able to give the blog the fresher, newer, more grown up look I had been wanting, one that is far more organized, a lot more visually appealing, and overall more sophisticated. If I don't say so myself, my photos, content, and writing have developed and changed for the better since I opened the blog in 2014, and I'm pleased to now have a look that reflects this. Bottom line: this blog is now exactly how I want, and I couldn't be happier. Bear with me as I get the hang of the new platform -- we switched from Blogger to Squarespace! -- and make any last little edits and changes that might come up.

As if a completely new look for the blog weren't enough, I've got another reason to celebrate --

🎊 Pancakes & Biscotti turned 6!!!! 🎉

That's right! In the midst of a pandemic, subsequent lockdown, and a total revamp, the blog went ahead and sneakily turned six years old. Six years! This means I've been blogging for over half a decade, or rather 72 months, and 2,190 days. If this blog were a person (first name Pancakes, last name Biscotti) she'd be entering first grade and learning how to read now (awww).

Six years on, I'm pleased to report that this blog remains a source of joy and pride; I'm proud that of all the writing, cooking, and baking that I've documented here, proud of how my photography has improved (from this to this!) and how I've managed to keep this going from the time I was just 25 years old. Running this blog continues to teach me so much about cooking and baking, giving me a place to continually develop new skills (pasta making! bread baking!) and keeps the creative side of my brain active (important when one works a 9:00-5:00 job in admin). This blog has also connected me with other cooks, foodies, and bloggers -- many of whom who have become friends -- and who constantly provide me with inspiration, ideas, and knowledge. In short: deciding to launch a food blog was the very best thing I did in 2014, and continues to be so, a consistently positive force, and a project I never tire of (this, even with all the work that goes in to maintaining it on a weekly basis). In short: here's to you, Pancakes & Biscotti. And here's to another year of blogging!

I'm no stranger to cheesecakes; I baked more of them than I can count in high school, whipping up everything from brownie, raspberry, vanilla bean, tiramisu, and peppermint cheesecakes over the years (always per the request of my cousin Dylan). Of all the cheesecakes I've ever baked, however -- this is my favorite.

To celebrate the blog's compleanno (is it really a birthday with no cake?) here is my idea of a perfect, A+ cheesecake, a recipe I played around with for as long as it took to come up with this: a crisp, buttery cookie crust, holding the silkiest of fillings in all its tangy, vanilla-bean flecked, lemon-scented glory, exalted even further with a generous spoonful of a tart-sweet and ever-so-purely strawberry sauce. This cheesecake is beyond good, stellar, off-the-charts, and exactly what six years of blogging and a blog make-over calls for. Note: a slice of this is even sweeter when safely delivered to your neighborhood friends via a secure/socially distanced elevator handover, or enjoyed after your first long walk around the city in 60 days (phase 2) because, um, that was lots more walking than you're used to, and you need to build up your strength again, obviously.

(Though: do you really ever need an excuse to eat lots of cheesecake?!)

A couple of notes: Cheesecakes are prone to cracking right down the middle at some point while baking or cooling; this is usually due to drafts or changes in temperature in the oven/when you take it out of the oven. A few tips: don't over whip your filling (especially once the eggs are added) -- more air in the filling means that air bubbles will form, which will expand in the oven causing cracks. Don't open the oven too much, as this will also mess with the temperature inside and cause cracks. You can also put a pan of hot water in the oven so that steam regulates the heat evenly, or bake the cheesecake in a water bath. In my case, I usually let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the oven door slightly open, so that there is no drastic temperature shift and the cheesecake and cool slowly. But honestly speaking -- even if a cheesecake cracks, it tastes just as good, and you can cover any damage with this strawberry sauce, so don't sweat it! You could also leave out the lemon zest in the filling and do a chocolate crust here, or add chocolate chips to the filling if you want a chocolate-strawberry cheesecake.

Looking for other cheesecake recipes? I've got these chocolate swirl cheesecake bars and this pumpkin cheesecake.

Looking for other celebration-worthy cakes? I have this 1940s Wacky Chocolate Cake, this Wellesley Fudge Cake, this Chocolate Fudge Souffle Cake, these Chocolate Lava Cakes, this Torta Caprese this German Chocolate Cake, this Limoncello Cake with mascarpone frosting, and these Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes.

CHEESECAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Serves 12ish.

Ingredients for the crust:
9 ounces (250 grams) cookies
8 tablespoons (112 grams) unsalted butter

Ingredients for the filling:
2 pounds (905 grams) cream cheese
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean or two teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon

Ingredients for the strawberry sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
500 grams hulled strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Start with the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius). While your oven is preheating, melt the butter (either in a microwave or in a small pot on the stove over low heat). Set it aside to cool. In a food processor, blend the cookies to crumbs (alternatively you can also place the cookies in a large plastic bag and crush them by going over the bag with a rolling pin). Pour in the melted butter and process, and then pour the resulting buttery crumbs in to a 10-inch springform pan. Press the mixture down into the pan and up the sides. You can use a glass to press the crumbs down make a clean edge (I used an empty Nutella jar). Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes, or until set. Keep the oven on.

In a large bowl use a standing mixer or electric beaters to beat the cream cheese with the sugar until fluffy and just combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating until just combined. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract or vanilla seeds, and lemon zest, and beat to combine. Pour the filling in to the cooled crust. Bake the cheesecake in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and the center is set. Let the cheesecake cool completely and then refrigerate overnight.

To make your sauce, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a pan over medium-low heat. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the strawberries have cooked down. Let cool and then spoon generously over your cheesecake. Limoncello Cake with mascarpone frosting