Burnt Basque Cheesecake!

This delightful cheesecake that went viral was definitely something I wanted to bake so badly!! However, since this was a popular cheesecake for home bakers and home businesses, cream cheese was something that was always out of stock:( After a week of looking through different NTUC's I was so thankful to be at one of them as the staff was bringing in the new stock. I immediately grabbed 4 bars (I wish I grabbed more) and was super excited to try out the cheesecake soon. Unfortunately, due to assignments and school, I wasn't able to find enough time to bake the cheesecake, especially while preparing for the launch of the cookie crates:)

Amazingly, one of my friends asked me to bake for her some fruit tarts and an 8 inch burnt basque cheesecake! I was so excited and immediately did all my recipe research and ingredient shopping and made the cheesecake just a day before delivery. I was so excited and happy as I took the cheesecake out f the oven to do the wobble test. The top crust was nice and burnt and the aroma was so fragrant. Unfortunately, since this was being sold to someone else, I did not have a chance to eat it:(

This whole burnt basque cheesecake did get me curious as to where this came about from and why it is so famous. This cheesecake is apparently known as the anti cheesecake since it kinda goes against every other original cheesecake recipe. If I heard about this cheesecake without seeing or tasting it, I would have honestly thought it was a joke. Like... who on earth would want burnt food??!

But it is only after I saw the pictures all over the internet and managed to taste some, I knew that this cheesecake was AMAZINGLY dELICIOUS!!!! This got me thinking about culture. Have you ever heard of the quote "Fish don't know they are wet?" or anything along those lines? This simply means that fish don't know they are wet because they live in that environment and don't recognize it as being wet. It is the same for humans. We now live in this world that has been around thousands of years with a range of cultures, environments, and beliefs.

The world we live in now may seem completely 'normal' and 'expected' since we are so used to it. But what if whatever he world belives or portrays may not be exactly what God had in mind. It can go back to something very simple.

The concept of social media. In this world, it is important to look good, be popular, get verified on Instagram...so many things! But have you ever thought about what God's purpose is for social media? What if it is solely just for encouraging others and being a light through your posts instead of just posting about you and yourself (not saying that it is completely wrong, but maybe there is more to social media for us believers) this may sound completely unusual just like that burnt basque cheesecake. However, are we just supposed to live the life made usual for us in this world? Or do we want to live the life that God wants us to live even though it goes completely against the culture of the world?

Another powerful quote that I love very much is from the movie "God's not dead 2"

"I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."

- Grace Wesley (character)

No one said that it was going to be easy. It takes a lot of faith and trust in God as well as strength from Him. I honestly find it humanly impossible to fully live a life according to the culture God wants us to portray. However, this does not mean that we shouldn't try. If you are reading this, I encourage you to think of one way in which you can break the norm and do what God wants you to do instead. It can be as simple as loving your enemy instead of complaining about it. Even for myself, I know that I have so much to work on:) But with God's strength and support from the Christian community, together, we can do this!

Cheers,

Bake to Bless