Jesses Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Food

JESSE'S ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Do not preheat the oven.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.
• Blend the cheeses.
• Add sugar to the cheese mixture and mix well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Add the vanilla, lemon juice corn starch, and butter and blend well.
• Fold-in the sour cream.
• Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan.
• Place the pan in a cold oven and cook at 325° for one hour.
• Do not open the door during cooking. Once the cooking time is up, turn off the oven and let the cheese cake cool in the oven for at least two hours.
• Use your favorite topping. I like fresh strawberries or canned light cherry pie filling.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat two 9-inch pie pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, zest, and whiskey. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until firm. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold.

ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE AND RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour, and butter. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour; turn oven off and leave in oven 1 hour more. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator before serving.

NICOLE'S ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until combined.
• Add ricotta cheese and sour cream and whip until smooth.
• Mix in eggs, vanilla and anise extract.
• Slowly add in flour and mix well at high speed three minutes.
• Pour into a greased and floured spring form pan.
• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 and bake one hour until set and starting to brown.
• Toothpick will come out clean when inserted in center.
• Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

ITALIAN (RICOTTA) CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Butter bottom and sides of a 12-inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle bottom and sides of well buttered pan with Graham cracker crumbs.
• In a large bowl, beat drained ricotta until very smooth.
• Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and egg yolks, beating after each addition.
• Beat in flour, lemon rind, and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, beat cream until cream holds its shape, but is not too stiff.
• In a smaller bowl, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff; combine with whipped cream and fold into ricotta mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake 1 hour.
• Turn off heat and allow cake to cool in oven with door closed (about 3-4 hours).
• Remove cooled cake from oven, carefully remove sides of pan, store cake (well wrapped) in refrigerator.
• Before serving, lightly sprinkle top of cake with Confectioner's (powdered, 10X) sugar.
• Cake may be served chilled or at room temperature.
• Note: Center of cheese cake will be lower than the sides when it is cooled.
• This is not a defect!
• It is supposed to be this way (makes it easier to hold the topping if you choose to use one).
• VARIATIONS: Add raisins, chopped citron or chopped maraschino cherries to the batter.
• Top cheese cake with crushed sugared strawberries or cherries before serving.
• Cover bottom of crumbed pan with drained, sweetened crushed pineapple, applesauce or sliced apples before adding batter to pan.
• Pie crust pastry may be used instead of Graham crumbs to line pan.

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, and tap out excess flour.
• Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Blend together ricotta and cream cheese, and add sugar.
• Beat in eggs , one at a time.
• Add lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour, and butter and mix well.
• Fold in sour cream.
• Pour into BUTTERED 10 inch springform pan.
• Put cake in cold oven (Do not preheat).
• Heat oven @ 325 degrees and bake for 1 hour.
• Turn oven off and leave cake in there for 2 hours. DO NOT open the oven door during this time while its cooling.
• Remove cake and finish cooling.
• Wrap and refrigerate. Cake is best the next day.

CHEF JOHN'S HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a deep bowl or pot.
• Combine milk, cream, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally in a "figure eight" motion, until it reaches a temperature of 195 degrees F (90 degrees C). If you don't have a thermometer, this will be right before it starts to simmer. You'll see steam rising from the surface, and tiny bubbles forming around the edges of the pan.
• Turn off the heat, pour in the vinegar, and stir slowly in a "figure eight" motion for 3 or 4 seconds.
• Let the mixture sit, untouched, for 6 minutes.
• Carefully ladle into the cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer so that the dripping whey drains into the pot or bowl. Let the ricotta drain into the pot for between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on how soft or firm you want your cheese. The longer it drains, the firmer the texture will be once chilled.
• Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and lift the drained ricotta out of the strainer and place in a bowl. Let cool on the counter to room temperature, then wrap and chill thoroughly.
• Remove cheesecloth and serve. Ricotta usually needs an additional pinch of salt when serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Coat two 9-inch pie pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, zest, and alcohol if using. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until firm. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter 9" springform pan.
• Melt butter, cool.
• Sift flour and cornstarch together, reserve.
• Place cream cheese and ricotta in mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add sugar in 3 additions over 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Beat 30 seconds longer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, at 30 second intervals.
• Mix well after each addition.
• Blend in flour, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla.
• Add butter and sour cream.
• Beat for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and beat 10 seconds longer.
• Wrap springform in two layers of aluminum foil, pour batter into pan, put springform in a larger pan such as a roasting pan and add hot water to larger pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the springform.
• Bake until center still jiggles slightly, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven, remove foil, cool completely on rack and refrigerate overnight.
• To remove springform, heat sides with propane torch and remove sides.
• Turn cake upside down in the palm of one hand, heat bottom with torch and remove bottom of springform.
• Place plate on bottom and flip right side up.
• Cut cake with unwaxed dental floss.