Cheesecake might be considered a classic New York dessert, but it pairs perfectly with local Texas fruit and other toppings, says Hannah Smith, who most recently served as pastry chef at Tillie’s Restaurant & Bar at Camp Lucy resort in Dripping Springs.
“Use your favorite fresh fruit, jam, chocolate sauce, caramel—you name it—it can’t be bad on a cheesecake,” Smith says, adding that her favorite topping is fresh strawberry sauce.
Before relocating to the Texas Hill Country last summer, the Los Angeles native had worked as a sous-chef at the popular L.A. eatery Bottega Louie and had opened her own bakery, Gemini Bakehouse.
She stepped back from her career last December to spend more time enjoying the outdoors with her children, while making good use of the Hill Country’s diverse harvests. “The sky really is bigger in Texas,” Smith marvels. And when it comes to toppings for this cheesecake, she adds, the sky’s the limit.