Mmm...Crust
Naked cheesecake
Dressed with strawberry sauce
There's not a whole lot you have to say about cheesecake other than, it is DELICIOUS! I've never made one before and really wanted to give it a go, so last night, I whipped this one up from an easy Good Housekeeping recipe for New York Cheesecake and it turned out great!
New York-Style Cheesecake
Crust
11 rectangle graham crackers
4 tbs melted butter
1 tbs sugar
Cheesecake
3 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs. flour
1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 lg. eggs
1 lg. egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make crust, combine all three crust ingredients (I did it in the food processor, but you can do it by hand) and press into the bottom of a greased (I used Pam) springform pan. Use your hand to press it firmly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool crust in pan on wire rack. Turn oven down to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in flour and vanilla until well combined. Reduce speed to low and beat in eggs and egg yolk (one at a time), beating well after each egg. Beat in milk until blended.
Pour batter into cooked crust. Bake 55-60 minutes until set but still slightly jiggly and moist in the center.
Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Take the sides off the pan and slice when cooled.
*I took fresh strawberries and 1/2 cup of sugar and cooked them on the stove. I mashed them and boiled until slightly thickened. Then I cooled it and poured over the top of the cheesecake. YUM!
Thanks Good Housekeeping!
Can't wait to try this with some variations (lemon zest and lemon juice; orange zest and orange juice; chocolate, etc...)
You said, "There's not a whole lot you have to say about cheesecake other than, it is DELICIOUS!" Well I've got another word, in fact a few other words to describe it...how about, "overdone, passe, overinflated, sub par." Cream cheese does not belong in desserts! Now I know I'm walking into a firestorm on this one, but cream cheese deserves to be included in savory recipes, not sweet ones. To all Kitchen Curiosity foodies out there who disagree with me, I kindly ask you to, "BRING IT!"
ReplyDeleteBig wow! Some strong feelings about cheesecake or rather cream cheese. I definitely feel that cream cheese has a place in both sweet and savory dishes - in fact, that's one of the reasons I think it's such a strong, versatile ingredient. I guess there's not much left to say, but, more for me! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is quite astonishing that a foodie such as yourself could err so grievously regarding such an obvious savory ingredient. I would like to see it be the secret ingredient on Iron Chef...and forget Bobby Flay and the rest...you vs. me. Perhaps we could arrange this at Thanksgiving? Are you up for the challenge?
ReplyDeleteOf course I'm up for it! You're sooooooo going down! Who will be our judges and how many dishes will we be completing? It's on like Donkey Kong! (always wanted to say that...)
ReplyDeleteFrightening on the verbiage...but I think one dish...your best sweet dish with cream cheese, my best savory dish with cream cheese and we will see where it belongs!
ReplyDeleteIt belongs in both arenas - I propose one sweet and savory dish a piece...
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? That is precisely the point...I will not cook with it sweet my dear, but if you wish we can do two dishes...but you are representing the sweet side and I the savory!
ReplyDeleteMmmm...challenge at Thanksgiving - I'll be a judge
ReplyDeleteGee, I wonder who cheeky is?
ReplyDeleteLet me just say K3 and K4, K2 shall be a judge, and I am shocked by the viciousness of your attack on cheesecake, K3. It is deliciousness! I will eat all of your cream cheese delights and gain 12 pounds while doing it. Cheeky, whoever you are, are you with me on this? Let us eat through this throwdown with enthusiasm.
ReplyDelete