Silky Cheesecake Food

SILKY CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended; press onto bottom and 1-1/2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Microwave 6 chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until melted, stirring after each minute.
• Blend next 4 ingredients in blender until smooth. With blender running, gradually add cream cheese through opening at top of blender, blending until smooth. Blend in melted chocolate. Pour into crust.
• Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. When ready to serve cheesecake, melt remaining chocolate; drizzle over cheesecake.

SILKY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• With electric mixer, beat Cream Cheese with a splash of whipping cream to help loosen.
• Add powdered sugar& vanilla.
• Beat till well blended.
• Add heavy whipping cream and beat until smooth and thickened.
• Pour into pie shell and refrigerate until firm, 8-10 hours or overnight.
• Serve plain or with canned fruit pie filling.

SILKY NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• MIX crumbs, 3 Tbls sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
• MIX cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Do not over mix!
• Blend in sour cream.
• Pour over crust.
• BAKE 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set.
• Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Top with cherry pie filling and garnish, if desired.

BRûLéED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make brown butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk solids separate out and the butter turns deeply golden and fragrant like toasted nuts, 10 minutes. Refrigerate until solid, 15 minutes. You should have 4 ounces of brown butter. Meanwhile, pulse and grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor. Measure out ¾ cup (81 g) of crumbs and set aside.
• Graham Cracker Crust: Add the brown butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to soften, 30 seconds, then add the brown sugar and continue mixing on medium speed, 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg and vanilla to the batter and mix to combine almost all the way. Turn the mixer off; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds until nearly homogeneous; turn mixer off. Add both flours, both salts, and graham cracker crumbs; mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer; use a plastic bench scraper to transfer the dough to a work surface. Bring the dough together into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled throughout, 1 hour or up to overnight. (Keeps for up to two days in the refrigerator.)
• Bring dough to room temperature, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 F. Trace the circumference of a 10-inch springform pan onto parchment paper: this will be the template for rolling the dough into a circle. Spray your work surface with nonstick spray and lay the prepared parchment paper on it; the spray will keep the parchment from slipping as you work. Knead dough several times and shape into a ball. Using your hands and the rolling pin, flatten the dough into a thick disk. Dust the parchment with flour, then place the dough on it; dust the dough with flour. Using short strokes of the rolling pin, flatten the disk to be 1 inch larger than the circle, all the way around. (If the dough cracks, pinch it back together.) Place the plate of the springform pan over the circle and use a knife to trim the edges so the crust is flush with the plate. (Save extra dough for another use, such as making cookies.) Remove the plate, cover the dough with another sheet of parchment paper, flip over; then peel off and set aside the top layer of parchment. Make sure there's no residual flour on top; if there is, gently brush it off. Place the dough on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Crust is ready when it is golden brown and feels like a cookie. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (Crust can be made 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, lightly covered.)
• Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300 F. Add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed and blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and continue mixing on medium speed until aerated, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the springform pan: Grease the inside with nonstick spray, then line the plate with a fitted parchment circle. Spray again. Wrap the outer sides and bottom of the pan with foil to insure there is no leakage. Set aside.Once the cream cheese mixture is fully aerated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to bring the mixture together. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and add the vanilla.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time to the cream cheese mixture. When just incorporated, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and salt; mix on low speed just to incorporate. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the cheesecake mixture through, using a rubber spatula to pass it into the bowl. Pour the strained mixture into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top; give the pan a few light taps on the countertop to remove air bubbles. Place the pan into a large roasting pan and then into the oven. Pour enough water into the roasting pan to go halfway to the level of the cheesecake filling. Bake 40-45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes. Cheesecake is done when it feels set when poked gently. Remove pan to a towel to dry the bottom. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• Assembly: Remove springform ring from frozen cheesecake. Stack crust on top of cheesecake, then invert onto a baking sheet so the springform plate is on top. Gently remove plate and peel off the parchment paper. Brûlée Topping (optional): Distribute a thin, even layer of superfine sugar on top of the cheesecake. Move a torch across the top until the sugar bubbles and caramelizes. Allow the cheesecake to rest until the sugar hardens. (You may serve it without the brûléed top, or add a berry garnish.)

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crust: Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• Set a kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.
• Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving.