Simply Cheesecake Food

PERFECT CHEESECAKE (FROM SIMPLYRECIPES, ELISE BAUER)

Steps:

• Prepare the crust.
• Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Repeat two more times.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter. Use your hands to press down graham cracker crumbs form even layer of graham cracker crumbs.
• Put the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Make the filling.
• Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. place cream cheese in mixer beat until smooth.
• Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated.
• Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.
• Cook the cheesecake.
• Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
• Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare sour cream topping.
• Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
• Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
• Prepare the raspberry sauce.
• Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.
• Prepare the cake to serve.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we've done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides.
• Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzle individual slices with raspberry sauce.

SIMPLE LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust:.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Lightly butter an 8 inch springform pan.
• In a mixing bowl, combine crumbs with sugar, then with butter and press mixture int bottom of pan, packing it down with the base of a flat glass.
• Bake until golden about seven to ten minutes.
• For the Cheese filling:
• Keep the oven at 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl combine cream cheese and sugar blending until smooth. Blend in sour cream. Stir in beaten eggs, one third at a time. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and vanilla, blending well.
• Pour into baked crust and place in oven. Immediately turn heat down to 300 degrees F and bake for one hour or until cake begins to rise on the sides.
• Turn oven off. Open oven door and let cake sit in oven for another 30 minutes. Remove, set on rack.
• For cheesecake topping:.
• have the oven at 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, combine all three ingredients, blending with a spoon until smooth.
• Spread over top of baked cheesecake. If cake has cracks, use topping to fill in the spaces.
• Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before removing side of springform pan. Chill until ready to serve.
• Cheesecake can be wrapped closely in plastic and refrigerated for about four days or frozen two weeks. served chilled with fresh fruit or fruit coulis.

SIMPLY DELICIOUS NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter & 2 tbsp sugar, mixing well.
• Press onto bottom of a 10 inch springform pan, pressing up sides slightly.
• Bake in preheated oven about 8-10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• In large mixing bowl using an electric mixer combine cream cheese, 1 3/4 cup sugar, zests and vanilla extract beating until light and creamy.
• Add the flour, eggs, yolks, sour cream, vanilla bean seeds and bourbon and mix just until smooth.
• Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
• Wrap the pan with heavy duty foil and place in a roasting pan.
• Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the pan.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven and remove from water bath.
• Remove foil and place on counter until it comes to room temperature.
• Place in refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours.

SUPER SIMPLE LOW CARB NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Soften the cream cheese either by leaving it out on the counter or putting it in a microwave safe bowl and heating it gently for a minute or so. Using electric beaters, beat the cream cheese until it is nice and smooth with no lumps.
• In a separate bowl, using the same mixer, beat the cream until it is nicely whipped and stiff peaks form.
• Using a rubber spatula, scoop all the whipped cream cheese into the bowl with the whipped cream. Beat the two together until they are completely blended. Then, pour in the Splenda and beat some more.
• Voila! A yummy dessert in no time. You can either serve this immediately as a "cheesecake flavored mousse", or, you can spoon it into individual dishes and chill for a more solid product. This entire recipe is big enough to fill a 9" pie pan.
• For those of you who are further along in your low carb program, you can add raspberries or strawberries on top to make this a real treat! Enjoy!