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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Cheesecake!

Cheesecakes are not really hard to make, but they do take some time and prep. After trying various and sundry recipes over the years, this is what I have the best results with.

Before you begin, I should point out some important things …
  • ALL ingredients should be room temperature, especially the cream cheese
  • Do not over mix your filling, especially after the eggs go in!
  • To prevent cracking, I place a pan with about an inch of water on the rack under the cake. Also, do your cooling slowly … turn off the oven, pull out the rack and run a sharp knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan, slowly open and reclose the springform, open the oven door a bit and cool to room temp in the oven. 


Cheesecake

Crust
2.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling
4 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1.5 cups sugar
3 tbsp. flour
5 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 - 1 tbsp. lemon juice (I use 1/2 … go with 1 full if you like yours a bit more tangy)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Crust
  • Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar … stir in melted butter until mixed and moistened
  • Pour mixture into a 9 inch springform pan and press the crumble into the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the pan.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove and cool to room temperature.


Filling
  • Cream together sugar, cream cheese, flour … cream at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Turn mixer down to medium low and add eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg mixes well.
  • Turn mixer down , again, to low and add sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice … mix until just combined.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325 degrees. (Don’t forget your bottom rack pan of water!)

When done, the center will still be wobbly and will look more shiny than the edges … this will even up as it cools.

When cake comes to room temp, move to refrigerator to chill overnight.

At this point, let your taste buds and imagination run wild! You can eat this fabulous cake plain or top it in any number of ways.
  • Fresh fruits
  • Canned fruits in syrups
  • Warmed, fresh jellies
  • Sweet whipped cream - 1 cup whipped with 2tbsp powedered sugar
  • Plain ‘ol chocolate syrup drizzles



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