Fluffiest Cheese Cake Ever. (I dare you to disagree)

Lately, I have been taking a lot of strolls down Memory Lane.  The oldest generation is moving on and the youngest generation is arriving.  Raising our daughter, it is becoming important to lock into some of my family's traditions.  Often for women and daughters, that starts in the kitchen, and I look forward to making all kinds of recipes with her.  Recipes from my childhood like molasses cookies.  Recipes that go back generations like stollen.  Recipes that inspire stories like Snooper Dupers.  Recipes that speak to where we come from, and
that brings us to Fluffy Cheese Cake.

This Fluffy Cheese Cake is made with Milnot condensed milk.  Now, most of you are thinking "Milnot?  Never heard of it.  I'll just use some other condensed milk.  After all, it's just condensed milk, right?"  WRONG.  Initially, I could not buy Milnot around here, so I started researching.  There are no substitutions for Milnot, as no other condensed milk will whip into stiff peaks.

For a while, Milnot was not available in some states, namely dairy states.  My understanding is that it had something to do with Milnot and other "filled milks" (canned condensed skim milks that used vegetable oils for fat because it was cheaper) posing competition to the dairy industry.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filled_milk for more info on Milk Laws.  Both sides of my family are from St. Louis, Missouri.  Milnot was widely available there, so growing up, Fluffy Cheese Cake was at all our summer family gatherings.  And it was almost always served in a Tupperware 9x13 container.  Once the families migrated to Minnesota and Wisconsin, Milnot was sure to be picked up anytime someone visited Missouri.

So this isn't just a recipe, it tells a little bit of the history of my family and our nation.  Cool, huh?  Wait until you taste it.

Start with the Jello.  I didn't, because I didn't know how long it would take for the Jello to start to thicken.  As long as you are organized, you should have plenty of time.

Cream the cheese, sugar, and vanilla.

Crunch up 3 cups (about 2 pkgs) of Graham Crackers.
Now, one of the cool things about passing down a recipe is passing down tips.  So, here's my tip for you, put the Grahams in an old cereal bag.  The heavier the better - I like the Costco Cheerio bags!  Then bash the heck out of the crackers.

Melt the butter, add to crumbs, press about 2/3 of crumbs into bottom of a 9x13 cake pan.  Gotta tell you, it was a big deal to me when my mom bequeathed to me one of her Tupperware 9x13 dessert containers with lid.  I can't wait for the next big family potluck!!

If the Jello hasn't started to thicken, go ahead and whip the Milnot.  Works best if the can is chilled before opening.

Add Jello to the cream cheese mixture.

Fold Jello and cream cheese mixture into the whipped Milnot.  I used my beaters on as slow as they go for this.

Pour over graham cracker crust and sprinkle remaining crumbs over top.
Chill for a few hours.

Battle Grandma for the last bite!

Note: Cut the pieces big!  

While at AiramanaHeirlooms, we aim to make treasures that will last throughout many lifetimes and adventures, there are many other things to pass along as well.  I believe there is a richness that is gained when generations find things to share with each other.

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