CHEESECAKE
There is something about making Cheesecake that intimidates many people, at least before they try making it. As yummy as cheesecake is, it's well worth making, especially at holiday time.
That said, here are six yummy cheesecake recipes to try, including Hot Chocolate Cheesecake and Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. Enjoy!
LEMON CHEESECAKE TART
This is from Yossy Arefi in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Yossy wrote, "With a simple, pat-in-the-pan crust and a thin layer of light, lemon-scented cream cheese, this cheesecake tart is a lot easier to make than you might imagine. The base can be baked right away, with no chilling required, and the custardy filling relies upon little more than tangy cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, sugar and eggs. It’s the perfect dessert for a winter or early spring gathering, when there might not be much fresh fruit around but you’re in the mood for a bright dessert."
Time: 1-1/4 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 1 (9-inch) tart
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023858-lemon-cheesecake-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, plus more for greasing the pan
1 egg yolk
For the Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
Pinch fine salt
2 large eggs
Preparation
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the cubed butter on top, then pulse until the butter is almost completely incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add the egg yolk and pulse until incorporated. The dough should hold together easily. If not, pulse in up to 3 teaspoons of cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a large bowl, using your fingers or a pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour.
Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan. (If you need to trim extra dough to make it level with the edge of the pan, reserve it to repair any cracks after the shell has baked.)
Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. Set the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake the shell for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough before filling.
While the shell cools slightly, make the filling: Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed. Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times then stir a few times with a rubber spatula to release any large air bubbles.
Pour the mixture into the warm crust, smooth the top and carefully transfer the pan, still on the baking sheet, into the oven. Bake until just set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the tart cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Remove the outer ring and slice with a warm knife, wiping the knife with a towel in between cuts for the tidiest slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge, covered for a few days.
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.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
This is from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Wow a holiday crowd with this amazing pumpkin cheesecake!”
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cooking Time: 55 minutes; Serves: 16
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted OR 1/3 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 can LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 container sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
For Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
For Cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.
For Topping:
Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.
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.
MINI CHEESECAKES WITH MANGO-RASPBERRY SAUCE
This was in the September 2006 (?) issue of Vegetarian Times, page 41. It begins, "These individual cheesecakes wowed us with their simplicity and their flavor. Have both the egg and the cream cheese at room temperature before you use them to ensure a smooth texture."
Makes 2 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/mini-cheesecakes-with-mango-raspberry-sauce/.
Ingredients
Mango-raspberry sauce
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
1/4 cup mango-apricot nectar or orange juice
1 Tbs. sugar
Mini cheesecakes
6 oz. fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. fat-free condensed milk
2 Tbs. mango-apricot nectar or orange juice
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 round sugar cookies, such as Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies
Preparation
To make Mango-Raspberry Sauce: Purée all ingredients in blender until smooth. Strain, and set aside.
To make Mini Cheesecakes: Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 2 6-oz. ramekins with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese with electric beater until smooth. Add condensed milk, and blend until smooth. Add nectar, egg and vanilla, and beat just until smooth.
Set 1 cookie in bottom of each ramekin. Fill ramekins with cream cheese mixture. Place ramekins in 9-inch square ovenproof dish, and add hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Place dish in oven, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set.
Remove from water bath, and set on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 4 hours, or up to 2 days. Serve cheesecakes with Mango-Raspberry Sauce.
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.
That said, here are six yummy cheesecake recipes to try, including Hot Chocolate Cheesecake and Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. Enjoy!
LEMON CHEESECAKE TART
This is from Yossy Arefi in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Yossy wrote, "With a simple, pat-in-the-pan crust and a thin layer of light, lemon-scented cream cheese, this cheesecake tart is a lot easier to make than you might imagine. The base can be baked right away, with no chilling required, and the custardy filling relies upon little more than tangy cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, sugar and eggs. It’s the perfect dessert for a winter or early spring gathering, when there might not be much fresh fruit around but you’re in the mood for a bright dessert."
Time: 1-1/4 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 1 (9-inch) tart
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023858-lemon-cheesecake-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, plus more for greasing the pan
1 egg yolk
For the Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
Pinch fine salt
2 large eggs
Preparation
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the cubed butter on top, then pulse until the butter is almost completely incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add the egg yolk and pulse until incorporated. The dough should hold together easily. If not, pulse in up to 3 teaspoons of cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a large bowl, using your fingers or a pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour.
Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan. (If you need to trim extra dough to make it level with the edge of the pan, reserve it to repair any cracks after the shell has baked.)
Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. Set the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake the shell for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough before filling.
While the shell cools slightly, make the filling: Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed. Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times then stir a few times with a rubber spatula to release any large air bubbles.
Pour the mixture into the warm crust, smooth the top and carefully transfer the pan, still on the baking sheet, into the oven. Bake until just set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the tart cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Remove the outer ring and slice with a warm knife, wiping the knife with a towel in between cuts for the tidiest slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge, covered for a few days.
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.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
This is from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Wow a holiday crowd with this amazing pumpkin cheesecake!”
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cooking Time: 55 minutes; Serves: 16
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted OR 1/3 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 can LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 container sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
For Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
For Cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.
For Topping:
Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.
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.
MINI CHEESECAKES WITH MANGO-RASPBERRY SAUCE
This was in the September 2006 (?) issue of Vegetarian Times, page 41. It begins, "These individual cheesecakes wowed us with their simplicity and their flavor. Have both the egg and the cream cheese at room temperature before you use them to ensure a smooth texture."
Makes 2 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/mini-cheesecakes-with-mango-raspberry-sauce/.
Ingredients
Mango-raspberry sauce
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
1/4 cup mango-apricot nectar or orange juice
1 Tbs. sugar
Mini cheesecakes
6 oz. fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. fat-free condensed milk
2 Tbs. mango-apricot nectar or orange juice
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 round sugar cookies, such as Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies
Preparation
To make Mango-Raspberry Sauce: Purée all ingredients in blender until smooth. Strain, and set aside.
To make Mini Cheesecakes: Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 2 6-oz. ramekins with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese with electric beater until smooth. Add condensed milk, and blend until smooth. Add nectar, egg and vanilla, and beat just until smooth.
Set 1 cookie in bottom of each ramekin. Fill ramekins with cream cheese mixture. Place ramekins in 9-inch square ovenproof dish, and add hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Place dish in oven, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set.
Remove from water bath, and set on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 4 hours, or up to 2 days. Serve cheesecakes with Mango-Raspberry Sauce.
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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