CHEESECAKE TIPS
BAKING: Bake cheesecake in moist oven. When preheating oven, place half-filled 9 x 13 pan of hot water on bottom rack. Bake cheesecake on middle rack above pan of water. Don’t peek in oven during baking; Don’t over bake. When done, edges should be slightly puffed; Center should appear soft and moist and will become firm upon cooling.
COOLING: Do not set cheesecake in cold or drafty places to cool. If possible, cool in turned off oven with door slightly ajar; or cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hr before refrigerating. Refrigerate, uncovered, 3-4 hours. Cover with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight before serving.
CRACKS: Cheesecakes release a considerable amount of steam while they bake and during cooling tome. Too much steam released too quickly causes the cheesecake top to crack. Extremes of temperature also causes cracks. That’s why baking temperatures for cheesecakes are low. Shallow cracks often occur, despite all efforts to prevent them. Accept them as part of a cheesecake’s home-baked charm, or cover them with fruit.
LINDY’S CHEESECAKE Made for Kelly’s 17 & 18th birthdays
***FAMILY FAVORITE***
CRUST:
3/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c oleo
1 egg yolk
1 t grated lemon rind
1/2 t vanilla
Blend with pastry blender and shape into ball.
Pat evenly over bottom of 12 x 3″ spring form pan.
Bake at 400° for 6 min.
FILLING: (5) 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c whipping cream, unwhipped
1-3/4 c sugar
3 T flour
2 t grated lemon rind (I use McCormicks)
2 t grated orange rind (I use McCormicks)
1 t vanilla
6 large eggs
Mix everything together except eggs.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour into COOLED crust.
Bake at 500° for 10 min; then reduce to 250 for 1 hour.
Cool in pan for 2 hours.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight before cutting/serving.
Top with desired topping.
TOPPING, CHERRY: Use one can cherry pie filing, blended
TOPPING, STRAWBERRY: Use fresh strawberries in glaze
TOPPING, CHOCOLATE: See Chocolate Fudge Topping Recipe
CHOCOLATE FUDGE TOPPING FOR CHEESECAKE
(Use on Lindy’s Cheesecake)
1 c sugar
1/4 c evaporated milk; or regular milk
1 T white (clear) Karo syrup
Mix and stir on burner til begins to boil.
Cook 2-1/2 min by clock, STIRRING CONSTANTLY.
Remove from heat, and add:
1/2 c butter (1 stick) SOFTENED or room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 t vanilla
1/2 pkg chocolate chips (use milk chocolate rather than semi-sweet on a choc cake)
Stir til smooth. Cool before spreading on cheesecake.
This frosting spreads fast, covers well—don’t need spatula to spread it, and stays soft.
WARM FUDGE-FILLED CHEESECAKE (not tried!)
Southern Living winner
Yield: 12 servings
Warm leftover cheesecake slices in the microwave 30 seconds before serving.
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla, divided
2/3 cup chopped pistachios
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate mini-morsels
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Garnish: chocolate shavings
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add 1/3 cup sugar, beating well.
Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until blended.
Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and pistachios.
Press into bottom and 1 ½ inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually add 1 ½ cups sugar, beating well.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. (Do not overmix.)
Pour half of batter into prepared crust; sprinkle with chocolate morsels to within ¾ inch of edge.
Pour in remaining batter, starting at outer edge and working toward center.
Place cheesecake on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until set.
Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 1 hour.
Serve slightly warm with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Garnish, if desired.
CHEESECAKE – FOLEYS-DOLORES
Graham Cracker Crust – MIX together:
1-1/2- cups cracker crumbs
1/2 – t cinnamon
¼ c butter
Butter 10-inch spring form pan and pat the crumbs on bottom and up the side a little. Chill in refrigerator.
Mix in mixing bowl:
3 – large (8-oz) bricks of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
4 – whole eggs
1 – cup sugar
2 – t vanilla
Preheat oven to 325.°
Have cream cheese at room temperature and break up with a fork.
Cream the cheeses and add one egg at a time, beating well (5 Minutes or so) after each egg addition.
Add sugar slowly. Add vanilla.
Beat until is smooth as possible, 15 or 20-minutes.
Pour batter over crumbs and bake 50-minutes.
Remove from oven and cool for 10-15-minutes and then add topping.
TOPPING:
2-cups sour cream
6 T sugar
1-1/2 to 2 t vanilla.
Beat together until well blended.
Carefully pour over top of cake and return to 375°oven for another 10-minutes.
Cool in refrigerator no less than 5 to 6-hours before removing from pan. Freezes well.
WANDA’S CHEESECAKE (Wanda Fulkerson-Katy RR)
***FAMILY FAVORITE***
CRUST:
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c oleo, melted
½ c sugar
Combine all ingredients and press into bottom and sides of 9″ springform pan.
Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool.
FILLING:
3-8 oz. pkg cream cheese
4 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 c flour
l t vanilla
Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, flour and mix well.
Add eggs, one at time, beating well. Blend in milk and vanilla.
Pour into pan over crumbs.
Bake at 350° for 50-60 min., or until center is done.
Sometimes takes 75 min.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature then refrigerate.
Do not invert! Serve on bottom of spring form pan.
Can chill an hour in freezer.
CHERRY TOPPING: Blend 1 can cherry pie filling and serve in pitcher.