The Freshman Cook: Cheesecake

Showing posts with label Cheesecake. Show all posts

Saturday, July 30, 2016

S'mores Cheesecake / #SundaySupper

When my son was small, he had a lot of favorite foods that I would make him often. He loved Fetuccini Alfredo, and Chicken Fingers, but as he grew up, I would make his little boy favorites less and less. His old favorites were replaced by new favorites, but the one favorite that never changed was cheesecake! He loves any cheesecake, and this S'mores Cheesecake is a new fave! It's sure to be a favorite for you and your family too!

Mini S'Mores Cheesecake

Chocolate Marbled Strawberry Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bars

When I first thought about making this recipe, I was making simple Banana Cheesecake Bars. So how did I end up with Chocolate Marbled Strawberry Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bars? It started with the sauce I made for the bananas. It is made with brown sugar, lemon juice, and bananas. So I added some cinnamon, but skipped the rum, and made it Bananas Foster. Then I saw some big, beautiful strawberries at the store, and thought about what a great combo they make with bananas, so I added them. Then I opened the pantry and found the milk chocolate bar I bought at Trader Joe's and I thought about how great chocolate goes with strawberries and bananas, so I swirled the chocolate in and ended up with Chocolate Marbled Strawberry Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bars! It's a treat with a big name, and a big flavor to match!

Chocolate Marbled Strawberry Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Marbled Vanilla Cheesecake

Today it is cold, wet and icy and it's Monday! That's a quadruple whammy! All those things together equal the need for a Chocolate Marbled Vanilla Cheesecake, which will make everything better! I made this cheesecake a mini, using a 4" round springform. There is milk chocolate running through the cake, and I topped it off with a few drops of Nutella and some sprinkles! Happy Monday!

Chocolate Marbled Vanilla Cheesecake

Banana Split Cheesecake Bars

There is just something about a bar dessert that I love. They are less time consuming to make, they are easy to serve, and they present themselves as just a little bit fancier than a cookie. I had been throwing around an idea in my head of a banana split type bar for some time, but I kept getting stuck on what to use for the base. I couldn't use ice cream. (But as I am writing this, I am asking myself, why not?) So I kept thinking about it. I usually think about my ideas for a time before I bring them to fruition, or toss them.

Mini Mango Cheesecake for #SundaySupper

When I was first married, I really didn't cook often. My husband and I lived in Las Vegas at the time, and there was never a less expensive place to eat out. Plus, we both grew up hardly ever eating out, so it was a treat we enjoyed often. Fast forward several years, and I cooked at home daily after my son was born. I started keeping track of recipes I used by writing notes in cookbooks or on newspaper clippings reminding myself why I made it and what we thought of it. They were reminders of parties, great times and what we served. So when I opened a binder stuffed with recipe copies, my eye stopped on the notes I made in the margin of this cheesecake recipe. It read: Alex's Kindergarten Graduation 6/96. Oh goodness, the memories! Alex is 25 now, but this cheesecake will forever make me think of him as that little boy proudly walking across the stage to become a first grader!
Isn't that the best thing about food? It evoke memories of good times, good food, and good friends!

I hope this Mini Mango Cheesecake brings wonderful memories for you and that you make it often. Tropical foods is the theme for #Sunday Supper this week, and when I think of tropical foods I think of mango's. They fit into this cheesecake perfectly. To see what everyone else made, read below.

Mini Mango Cheesecake

Banana Nana Cheesecake!

It is Improv Cooking Challenge day and January's two ingredients are banana and nutmeg! Aren't those great ingredients? So many recipes and ideas came to mind, that, as usual, I had a hard time deciding what to make. I decided on this creamy Banana Cheesecake! I crunched up some left over sugar cones for the crust, added nutmeg to the batter, and made the cheesecakes in mini pans. I think they turned out fantastic!

Banana Nana Cheesecake

Crust

10 Sugar Cones

4 tablespoons Butter, melted

Filling

3- 8 ounce Cream Cheese, softened

2/3 cup Sugar

2 tablespoons Cornstarch

3 Eggs

3/4 cup Mashed Banana (about 2)

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

2 teaspoons Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

sliced Banana

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the sugar cones in the food processor, and pulse

until finely crushed. Place the crumbs in a bowl, add your melted

butter and mix together. Press the mix into a 10" springform pan

or 6 small pans. Refrigerate.

Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until creamy.

Add your sugar and cornstarch and blend with cream cheese.

Add your eggs and mix them in.

Mix in your bananas, heavy cream, and vanilla.

Incorporate your nutmeg into the mix.

Place your pans on a baking sheet.

Pour your batter into your pans.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to

200 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes for the small pans

and 1 hour and 15 minutes for the large pan. The cheesecakes

are done when the when the center is almost set.

Loosen the edges around the cheesecakes,

and set them on a cooling rack. Once they are completely

cooled, remove the sides.

Refrigerate for 6 hours. Before serving, let the cheesecake stand

at room temp for 15 minutes. During that standing time,

whip your whipping cream with a mixer on high speed.

Add your sugar and whip until stiff peaks appear.

Garnish with dollops of whipped cream and banana.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Here is where we are partying:
What's in your Kitchen Wednesday?

Don't forget to check out what everyone else cooked up today!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

S'mores Cheesecake!

Although it is as hot as hot can be here in the desert, I love a roaring campfire and roasting marshmallows after the sun sets. As I thought about all the other things I love about summer, you know s'mores had to be on the list! It's Crazy Cooking Challenge day and this month we are making cheesecake! I don't know about you, but I love a good cheesecake too! So, what could be better than S'mores Cheesecake! That's all of my summer loves rolled into one! Yum!

S'mores Cheesecake

(adapted from Cheesecake Extraordinaire
by Mary Crownover)

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/4 cup finely crushed Graham Crackers

1/4 cup melted Butter

Cheesecake Filling

24 ounces softened Cream Cheese

2/3 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

5 teaspoons Cornstarch

4 Eggs

1 Egg Yolk

1/4 cup Vanilla Flavored Syrup(Torani)

2 teaspoons Vanilla

8 oz. Milk Chocolate(Callebaut)

3-4 oz. Whipping Cream

Mini Marshmallows

This is my "go to" cheesecake recipe. Well, it is if you stop

after the Vanilla in the ingredient list. I used it to create this

s'mores recipe by making a few tasty additions. But, if you are

in the mood for a really good, creamy, vanilla cheesecake

make this. You won't be disappointed. Oh, yeah, change the

graham crackers to nilla wafers. So good!!

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, whipping cream

and cornstarch. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth.

Add eggs and the egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after

each addition.

Beat in vanilla flavoring and vanilla.

Mix together your graham crackers and butter.

Press the mixture into the bottom of your

springform pan. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler set up.

Add the cream a little at a time until a desired

smooth consistency is achieved.

Fill your springform pan with your cheesecake filling.

Leave a little room at the top for the chocolate to be added.

Add about 3-4 spoon fulls of the melted chocolate

to your filling.

Swirl around for a pretty effect.

Place some of the chocolate on top of the cheesecake.

Top with mini marshmallows all over.

Using a kitchen torch, roast the marshmallows.

You can roast them as much or as little as you wish.

Happy Roasting!

Thanks for joining me today!

Let's see what everyone else made:

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Valentine Cheesecake!

I have been making this cheesecake forever! I like to write in the margins of my cookbooks, and I usually write down the date I made the recipe and what it was for. I also try to include my thoughts on the recipe, like changes I want to make, or if it was successful or not. From my notes I see that I made this recipe for the first time when my now 22 year old son graduated from kindergarten. I can't count how many other times I have made this. I even made this when I worked as the chef in a gourmet restaurant. This cheesecake is the ultimate cheesecake. It is not dry. It is so creamy and rich. For Valentines Day, I made individual little cakes, topped with chocolate ganache and covered with cherries. You're gonna fall in love!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup finely crushed Vanilla Wafers

a short 1/4 cup of melted Butter

12 ounces softened Cream Cheese

1/3 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Whipping Cream

2 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

2 Eggs

1 Egg Yolk

a short 1/4 cup of Vanilla Syrup

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put about 15 or so Vanilla Wafers in a plastic bag.

Take a rolling pin and crush the wafers until they are

very fine. You can also use a food processor.

Pour crushed wafers into a bowl.

Add melted butter, and mix together thoroughly.

Distribute evenly between the 3 pans.

Using your fingers, smooth the wafers over the bottom

of the pan, making it as evenly as possible.

Set pans aside while you make the filling!

In your bowl, combine together the softened cream cheese

and the sugar.

Add the whipping cream and the cornstarch.

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

To get the smoothest possible mix, your cream cheese

should be very soft when you begin.

Add the eggs and the egg yolk, one at a time, beating

after each addition.

Add the vanilla bean paste and the vanilla syrup.

If vanilla bean paste is not available, use vanilla extract.

I like to use this paste because the flavor is so intense.

It especially comes out in this recipe.

You can see the little flecks of bean in the picture!

Pour the cheesecake mix into the pans.

This recipe makes three individual cakes!

Place all three in the oven.

Cook at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Turn down the temperature

to 200 degrees and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

To check to see if they are done, stick a toothpick in the

center like you would a cake. Also make sure the center

of the cakes do not look wet or shiny.

When you take the cakes out of the oven, let them sit

on a cooling rack. Take a knife or offset spatula around the

edge to loosen the cake. Don't release the pans right now.

Wait at least 30 minutes, so they have a chance to cool.

Then you can release the pans, but let the bottoms stay on for a while.

When the cakes are completely cooled,

wrap in plastic and place in the fridge to chill. Still keep the bottoms on,

or transfer them to some other type of base.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

Place the chocolate chips and the whipping cream

into a saucepan and heat on low.

Stir the entire time, to melt the chocolate,

until it is beautiful and smooth.

Place chocolate on top of the cake,

covering the entire top.

Cover the top with the chilled cherries!

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This recipe comes from a cookbook called

Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary Crownover.

I have changed the recipe some. If you would like to make

a large(9" springform pan) cheesecake, double all of the ingredients,

except for the egg yolk. Still only use one!

You can also use vanilla liquor in place of the vanilla syrup.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Key Lime Cheesecake~The Perfect Way to End our Week!

This weeks dessert is Key Lime Cheesecake. I love cheesecake-pretty much any kind of cheesecake. But Key Lime Cheesecake just sounds like the perfect hot weather treat. Doesn't it?
And it's HOT, and I would love a treat!!!