We all have a favorite dessert or two or three: Cheesecake happens to be one of mine.

First, a bit of history about this beloved dessert.

Was the treat invented in New York, thus New York Cheesecake? No, it’s believed to have its roots in Greece. Perhaps that is why the cheesecake in Greek-owned diners is always delicious.

Alan Davidson, author of the “Oxford Companion to Food,” wrote that, “cheesecake was mentioned in Marcus Porcius Cato’s de Re Rustica around 200 BCE, and that Cato described making his cheese libum (cake) with results very similar to modern cheesecake.”

No matter who invented it, or when, each region of the country and the world has put its unique spin on the dessert: baked or no-bake, New York-style or Philadelphia-style, German or Italian, plain or flavored with fruit, chocolate or peanut butter.

There is a plethora of twists on plain cheesecake, depending on the season. I’ve noticed the pumpkin variety has arrived on restaurant menus and is now being offered at bakeries. I’ve seen, and often tried, a mashup of the dessert… fried ice cream cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and brownie cheesecakes.

Not into sweets…. savory cheesecakes such as BLT cheesecake, smoked salmon or a savory Southwest might fit the bill. I think of this variation as a takeoff of quiche.

If you are looking to make a unique cake for Halloween celebrations, check out this recipe for Venom Charcoal Cheesecake (it uses activated charcoal): https://bit.ly/4e0TpyY I looked through my vintage recipe pamphlet collection and found Borden’s Eagle Brand Magic Recipes, published in 1946, which has dozens of recipes using the sweetened condensed milk. This recipe, from the inaugural Eagle Brand Signature Recipe Contest, earned a home baker from Reston, Va., a $10,000 kitchen makeover. Not a bad payoff for an imaginative twist on cheesecake.

White Chocolate Apricot Swirl Cheesecake

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

½ cup ground almonds

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

14-ounce can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 large eggs

1½ cups white baking chips, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

15-ounce can apricot halves, drained

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Stir graham cracker crumbs, almonds, sugar and butter in a small bowl until evenly moistened. Press firmly into bottom of a prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy.

Blend in sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs, melted white baking chips and vanilla; blend until smooth. Pour over the crust.

Place apricots in food processor or blender; cover and process until smooth. Spoon small dollops of apricot puree over top of the cream cheese mixture. Swirl with tip of knife to make marbled appearance.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until edges are puffed and golden. (Center will not be completely set.) Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Chill thoroughly before serving.

Treat yourself to a copy of “The Cheesecake Bible,” by George Geary (2018, Robert Rose, Inc., $24.95), and you’ll be overwhelmed as to which one to make first. Geary is an aficionado of cheesecakes.

When people ask how many he has made, he said: “Back in the ’80s I would make seven each week for the hit show ‘The Golden Girls.’ I made 250 to 350 a day in the 10 years that I worked as a pastry chef at Disneyland in the ’80s and ’90s…. that’s about 1.2 million cheesecakes just during that time.”

With that amount, Geary could probably be listed in the Guinness World Records.

Every July 30, which happens to be National Cheesecake Day, he brings his knowledge of the creamy dessert to morning news segments.

“Sometimes, I’m called the ‘Cheesecake King,’” he said.

The book begins with the tools and equipment to make the perfect cake. He then gives details about the common ingredients used including crusts, herbs and spices, nuts and of course the star…. various cheeses.

I found the frequently asked questions from his cheesecake classes helpful. Questions such as “Why do cheesecakes crack?…Why do you press the crumbs only on the bottom of the cheesecake pan and not up the sides? How can I make the perfect-looking cheesecake? Pick up a copy of the book to find out his answers to these and other questions. The tips provided for the recipes assist in making the perfect cake. The book concludes with many recipes for toppings and sauces from classic whipped cream to three-chocolate sauce to sugared cranberries.

Now, onto a few recipes from the book. For the recipe for the Savory Taco Cheesecake, visit https://bit.ly/4g5mvPv.

“Golden Girls” fans, pick up a copy of the book with Geary’s famous recipe.

“Now you can make the cheesecake that helped the four gals cope with their many problems!” he writes.

The 300 sweet and savory recipes will keep you baking throughout the year.

I’m going to buy the ingredients for the S’mores Cheesecake that has all the flavors and textures of the campfire treat. For the end-of-year celebrations, I’ve tagged the Holiday Rum Eggnog Cheesecake, where Geary writes, “A perfect dessert to make when the turkey is taking up all the room in the oven.”

No oven required!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

The headnote says: “Your guests will ask if it’s a cheesecake or a carrot cake. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Cheesecake Batter

2 packages (each 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Carrot Cake Batter

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple (about one 8-ounce can)

½ cup flaked sweetened coconut

½ cup pecans, toasted (see tips below) and chopped 1 cup shredded carrots Icing

2 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 1 ¾ cups confectioner’s (icing) sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees You’ll need a 9-inch cheesecake pan or springform pan with 3-inch sides, sprayed with nonstick spray, outside of pan wrapped with foil

1. Cheesecake batter: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Carrot cake batter: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended, for 2 minutes. Add pineapple, coconut and pecans; mix for 1 minute. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in carrots.

3. Divide carrot cake batter in half and smooth half the batter over bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven just until cake is light brown and just set, 18 to 22 minutes (it will not be fully cooked).

4. Gently drop cheesecake batter by large spoonfuls over carrot cake. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter, allowing some of the cheesecake batter to show through. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the top layer of carrot cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before icing or serving.

5. Icing: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Pipe large rosettes around top of cake. Serves 10 to 12.

Tips: Toasting brings out the natural oils and flavor of nuts.

Place nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.

You can use the same mixer bowl for the cheesecake batter and the carrot cake batter; there’s no need to wash it in between.

Remove the foil from the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven; otherwise, it will stick.

Pear Nutmeg Cheese Pie

The headnote says: “Ohio Bartlett pears are marvelous but have such a short season at the end of the summer. If I can’t get them for my classes, I use canned pears for this recipe.”

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

Crust 1 ¼ cups butter cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Filling

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup small-curd cottage cheese, drained (see tips, page 214)

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup chopped pear (about 1 medium)

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract Decoration: Whipped Cream Topping (author’s recipe, page 360)

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

You’ll need a 9-inch pie plate, ungreased

1. Crust: In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and sides of pie plate and freeze.

2. Filling: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in pear, nutmeg and vanilla by hand.

3. Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pie plate. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

4. Decoration: Ice top of pie with Classic Whipped Cream Topping or pipe rosettes around top of pie, if desired.

Tip: If you use canned pears, drain before adding to the filling.

Canned pear juice is a versatile sweetener for cocktails, fruit salad or savory sauces for roasted meats.

Variation: Canned or fresh peaches work well too.

Recipe text copyright credit: Courtesy of Robert Rose Inc., by George Geary, 2018 www.robertrose.ca. Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold.

Photography copyright credit: Colin Erricson and Mark T. Shapiro Stephen Fries is professor emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 17 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, and three-day culinary adventures around the U.S.

He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Email him at Stephen@ stephenfries.com. For more, go to stephenfries.com.