Cheesecake
For some reason, many bakers are a little intimidated by the thought of Cheesecake. While it does take a little work, cheesecakes are definitely worth the work.
To that end, here are six cheesecake recipes to start your week off, including Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake and Swirled Berry Cheesecake. Enjoy!
HOT CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
How does Hot Chocolate Cheesecake sound? Yum!
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and starts off, “Use your leftover hot chocolate or cocoa mix in both the crust and the filling of this super-rich cheesecake that tastes just like the classic drink.” Total Time: 3 hr 45 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 45 min; Cook: 2hr 30 min; Yield: 12 to 14 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hot-chocolate-cheesecake.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for the pan
9 graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)
1/4 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
Pinch fine salt
Filling:
Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
1 cup sour cream
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10 marshmallows
Directions
Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, hot chocolate mix and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)
For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar, hot chocolate mix and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the side of the springform pan (but not above the foil).
Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.
Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
Before serving, cut the marshmallows on the diagonal, and arrange them, cut-side down, in a neat line all over the top edge of the cheesecake.
SWIRLED BERRY CHEESECAKE
This is from the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, "This recipe can be easily adapted to suit vegan diets by substituting margarine for butter in the crust, vegan “cream cheese” for cream cheese, and 1/2 cup silken tofu (purée it with original tofu before adding the other ingredients) for the eggs." Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/swirled-berry-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
Crust
3 cups (6 oz.) vanilla snaps or vanilla wafers
2-1/2 Tbs. butter or vegan margarine, melted
Filling
1 12.3-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu, drained
1 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. lemon juice, divided
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup strawberry fruit spread
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan with double thickness of foil. Place kitchen towel in roasting pan.
To make Crust: Place cookies in food processor, and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool.
To make Filling: Purée tofu in food processor 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add cream cheese, sugar, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, cornstarch, lemon zest, and vanilla, and process until blended. Add eggs, and pulse until mixed in. Pour into crust.
Warm fruit spread with remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Strain into bowl to remove seeds, then transfer to resealable plastic bag. Cut small hole in one corner of bag. Pipe fruit spread over batter in lines. Draw tip of knife crosswise through fruit spread to create design.
Place cheesecake in towel-lined roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around edges but center still jiggles. Turn off oven and prop oven door open with wooden spoon. Cool cheesecake in oven 45 minutes. Remove foil. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
ROSALIE'S CHEESECAKE
This was from one of our neighbors when I was growing up in New York.
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1/2 C evaporated milk
3/4 C sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T unbleached flour, sifted
juice of 1/2 lemon
8 oz. (1 C) cottage cheese
3 T melted butter
3 egg whites
8 oz. cream cheese
Directions
Beat egg yolks with sugar and flour until lemon yellow. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese and flour. Add milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat all together and add melted butter during process. Stiffly beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Put into buttered spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 1 hour.
PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE
This is from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “This luscious cheesecake will be your new pumpkin obsession.”
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed
3/4 c. ginger snaps, crushed
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
kosher salt
3 (8-oz.) bars cream cheese, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice, plus more for garnish
Warm caramel, for garnish
whipped cream, for garnish
Chopped, toasted pecans, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 325° with a rack in the middle position. Grease an 8” springform pan with cooking spray.
Make crust: In a large bowl, add cookie and graham cracker crumbs. Stir in butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. Press crust into bottom of pan.
Meanwhile, make cheesecake batter: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined, then beat in flour, pumpkin spice, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour cheesecake mixture over crust.
Double-wrap outside of pan in aluminum foil, making sure to cover the bottom. Place pan in a large baking dish, place the baking dish in the oven, and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the pan. Bake until only slightly jiggly in center, 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes.
With oven door propped open, turn oven off and let cool 1 hour in the oven. Remove from water bath and discard foil, then refrigerate cheesecake until cooled completely, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Garnish with a layer of caramel and a few dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle all over with pecans and more pumpkin pie spice.
EASY NO-BAKE PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE
This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "This easy pineapple cheesecake is prepared in a graham cracker crust in a springform pan. Even the crust is no-bake, which is perfect for hot summer days when you want to avoid the oven.
"The luscious pineapple cheesecake is a mixture of cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping, and it is super easy to mix and chill in the graham cracker crust. Take this cheesecake to a cookout or potluck or make it for a weekend dessert. It will be an instant hit!"
Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Chill Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes; Makes 8 servings; Yield: 1 cheese cake
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-no-bake-pineapple-cheesecake-3052567.
Ingredients
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
16 ounces whipped topping
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the granulated sugar and melted butter.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbs in a small bowl and set aside. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch springform pan. Put the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar until fluffy.
Add the crushed pineapple and blend well.
Fold the whipped topping into the pineapple mixture.
Spread the filling over the chilled crust and sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker crumbs.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly—at least 2 to 3 hours—before serving.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips
If you prefer a baked graham cracker crust, bake the crust in a preheated 350 F/180 C/Gas 4 oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Chill before filling.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pecans to the graham cracker bottom crust mixture.
Double the crust ingredients for a thicker bottom crust.
Make sure the canned pineapple is well-drained or your filling will be thinner.
You can use fresh pineapple in place of the canned pineapple if you'd like—a 20-ounce can is equal to 10 cored slices.
If the cheesecake is still very soft after being in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, keep chilling it until set.
PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 70. It begins, "It took us four tries to get this recipe just right, but the result - a rich, creamy, pumpkin-flavored cheesecake laced with spice and swirled with chocolate—is truly spectacular."
Makes 24 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-chocolate-swirl-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 8-oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1-1/2 Tbs. ground ginger
1-1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make Chocolate Crust:
Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press into prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl in microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds to heat evenly. Set aside. Blend cottage cheese in food processor 3 minutes, until smooth. Add Neufchâtel cheese, brown sugar, eggs and flour, and process until smooth. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, and process 1 minute, or until smooth.
Whisk 1 cup cream cheese batter into melted chocolate. Pour remaining batter into crust. Spoon dollops of chocolate mixture onto batter, and swirl with knife.
Bake cheesecake 1-1/2 hours, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely on wire rack, then chill well before unmolding and serving.
To that end, here are six cheesecake recipes to start your week off, including Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake and Swirled Berry Cheesecake. Enjoy!
HOT CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
How does Hot Chocolate Cheesecake sound? Yum!
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and starts off, “Use your leftover hot chocolate or cocoa mix in both the crust and the filling of this super-rich cheesecake that tastes just like the classic drink.” Total Time: 3 hr 45 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 45 min; Cook: 2hr 30 min; Yield: 12 to 14 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hot-chocolate-cheesecake.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for the pan
9 graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)
1/4 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
Pinch fine salt
Filling:
Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
1 cup sour cream
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10 marshmallows
Directions
Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, hot chocolate mix and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)
For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar, hot chocolate mix and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the side of the springform pan (but not above the foil).
Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.
Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
Before serving, cut the marshmallows on the diagonal, and arrange them, cut-side down, in a neat line all over the top edge of the cheesecake.
SWIRLED BERRY CHEESECAKE
This is from the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, "This recipe can be easily adapted to suit vegan diets by substituting margarine for butter in the crust, vegan “cream cheese” for cream cheese, and 1/2 cup silken tofu (purée it with original tofu before adding the other ingredients) for the eggs." Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/swirled-berry-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
Crust
3 cups (6 oz.) vanilla snaps or vanilla wafers
2-1/2 Tbs. butter or vegan margarine, melted
Filling
1 12.3-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu, drained
1 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. lemon juice, divided
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup strawberry fruit spread
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan with double thickness of foil. Place kitchen towel in roasting pan.
To make Crust: Place cookies in food processor, and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool.
To make Filling: Purée tofu in food processor 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add cream cheese, sugar, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, cornstarch, lemon zest, and vanilla, and process until blended. Add eggs, and pulse until mixed in. Pour into crust.
Warm fruit spread with remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Strain into bowl to remove seeds, then transfer to resealable plastic bag. Cut small hole in one corner of bag. Pipe fruit spread over batter in lines. Draw tip of knife crosswise through fruit spread to create design.
Place cheesecake in towel-lined roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around edges but center still jiggles. Turn off oven and prop oven door open with wooden spoon. Cool cheesecake in oven 45 minutes. Remove foil. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
ROSALIE'S CHEESECAKE
This was from one of our neighbors when I was growing up in New York.
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1/2 C evaporated milk
3/4 C sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T unbleached flour, sifted
juice of 1/2 lemon
8 oz. (1 C) cottage cheese
3 T melted butter
3 egg whites
8 oz. cream cheese
Directions
Beat egg yolks with sugar and flour until lemon yellow. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese and flour. Add milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat all together and add melted butter during process. Stiffly beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Put into buttered spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 1 hour.
PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE
This is from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “This luscious cheesecake will be your new pumpkin obsession.”
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed
3/4 c. ginger snaps, crushed
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
kosher salt
3 (8-oz.) bars cream cheese, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice, plus more for garnish
Warm caramel, for garnish
whipped cream, for garnish
Chopped, toasted pecans, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 325° with a rack in the middle position. Grease an 8” springform pan with cooking spray.
Make crust: In a large bowl, add cookie and graham cracker crumbs. Stir in butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. Press crust into bottom of pan.
Meanwhile, make cheesecake batter: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined, then beat in flour, pumpkin spice, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour cheesecake mixture over crust.
Double-wrap outside of pan in aluminum foil, making sure to cover the bottom. Place pan in a large baking dish, place the baking dish in the oven, and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the pan. Bake until only slightly jiggly in center, 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes.
With oven door propped open, turn oven off and let cool 1 hour in the oven. Remove from water bath and discard foil, then refrigerate cheesecake until cooled completely, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Garnish with a layer of caramel and a few dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle all over with pecans and more pumpkin pie spice.
EASY NO-BAKE PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE
This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "This easy pineapple cheesecake is prepared in a graham cracker crust in a springform pan. Even the crust is no-bake, which is perfect for hot summer days when you want to avoid the oven.
"The luscious pineapple cheesecake is a mixture of cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping, and it is super easy to mix and chill in the graham cracker crust. Take this cheesecake to a cookout or potluck or make it for a weekend dessert. It will be an instant hit!"
Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Chill Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes; Makes 8 servings; Yield: 1 cheese cake
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-no-bake-pineapple-cheesecake-3052567.
Ingredients
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
16 ounces whipped topping
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the granulated sugar and melted butter.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbs in a small bowl and set aside. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch springform pan. Put the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar until fluffy.
Add the crushed pineapple and blend well.
Fold the whipped topping into the pineapple mixture.
Spread the filling over the chilled crust and sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker crumbs.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly—at least 2 to 3 hours—before serving.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips
If you prefer a baked graham cracker crust, bake the crust in a preheated 350 F/180 C/Gas 4 oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Chill before filling.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pecans to the graham cracker bottom crust mixture.
Double the crust ingredients for a thicker bottom crust.
Make sure the canned pineapple is well-drained or your filling will be thinner.
You can use fresh pineapple in place of the canned pineapple if you'd like—a 20-ounce can is equal to 10 cored slices.
If the cheesecake is still very soft after being in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, keep chilling it until set.
PUMPKIN-CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE
This was in the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 70. It begins, "It took us four tries to get this recipe just right, but the result - a rich, creamy, pumpkin-flavored cheesecake laced with spice and swirled with chocolate—is truly spectacular."
Makes 24 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pumpkin-chocolate-swirl-cheesecake/.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 8-oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1-1/2 Tbs. ground ginger
1-1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make Chocolate Crust:
Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press into prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl in microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds to heat evenly. Set aside. Blend cottage cheese in food processor 3 minutes, until smooth. Add Neufchâtel cheese, brown sugar, eggs and flour, and process until smooth. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, and process 1 minute, or until smooth.
Whisk 1 cup cream cheese batter into melted chocolate. Pour remaining batter into crust. Spoon dollops of chocolate mixture onto batter, and swirl with knife.
Bake cheesecake 1-1/2 hours, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely on wire rack, then chill well before unmolding and serving.
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