1 lb to 2 lb cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
3/4 cup liqueur or fruit/vegetable puree
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp or more other flavored extracts, if, desired
Directions
Here's where it gets fun. The more cream cheese you use, the denser
the cheesecake will be (but not dry!) The more eggs you use, the
fluffier it will be. There's a delicate balance here - 1 lb cheese
and 3 eggs will give you a fluffy cheesecake, but if you use 2 lbs
cheese, 3 eggs is an absolute must if you don't want it to be flat.
More eggs than 3, and you'll taste the eggs. 1 lb cheese and 2 eggs
is a nice balance, too, but going any lower than that you'll just end
up with something flat.
The powdered sugar works best for two reasons - number one, powdered
sugar contains corn starch, which acts as a thickener, and number
two, you don't have to worry about the grittiness of undissolved
sugar in your cake. The yogurt or sour cream adds moistness and a
little bit of tang to the cake. It's not necessary, but it adds oomph
to either a bland cake or a citrus-flavored cake. For liqueur, add
no more than 1/2 cup if you're using the yogurt or sour cream, and
make sure you're using the three eggs. If you eliminate the
yogurt/sour cream, you can increase the liqueur to 3/4 cup, and 2
eggs will work (but three is still better - two works best only if
you're not using the yogurt/sour cream >and< your liqueur is only 1/2
cup.) A fruit or vegetable puree should be relatively dry - drain
off the liquid in a sieve, or put it in a saucepan, mix in some
cornstarch, and heat it until it's thick. You can use an entire cup
of puree if you eliminate the yogurt/sour cream. Either mix in the
puree with the batter, or reserve a cup or so of batter, mix it with
the puree, then swirl it into the cheesecake.
The vanilla is a must, in my opinion. Lots of times, I'll throw in an
extra teaspoon for good measure. Other extracts can enhance the
flavor - banana extract in a strawberry cheesecake, coconut extract
or almond extract in an Amaretto cheesecake, etc.
Another addition would be cocoa or chocolate. Cocoa mixes in nicely
without making the cheesecake gooey - 4-6 Tbsp will do it. Melted
chocolate or white chocolate chips shouldn't really exceed 6 oz, even
4 oz will usually do enough for the flavor. If you're doing the
swirl thing, use only 2-3 oz melted chocolate for the batter that's
being swirled in. Make sure the melted stuff is cooled before you mix
it in.
(see also Basic Cheesecake Crust and Basic Cheesecake Method &
Toppings)
* The Polka Dot Palace BBS 1-201-822-3627. Posted by FAYLEN
Servings: 1 cake
Basic Cheesecake Filling Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cheesecake; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as an idea can be traced way back into the far past, in fact as far into history as the early Egyptians, and potentially, even further back. However, sadly, these ancient records were just primitive pictorial recipes for food preparation.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe in existence, according to academics are a few stone tablets in the Sumerian language which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made drinkers feel exhilarated. As we move into The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius created some scripts describing recipes enjoyed by the Romans. In his publication, Apicius recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were divided into hors d`oeuvre, entrees and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. He also recounts how the ancient cooks were skilled in the use of many different spices and herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, fennel and asafoetida. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices such as coriander, basil and rosemary. These new foods and spices prompted an outbreak in cookery books, some of which still exist in private cookery archives. Over the following few centuries, the upper-class families of Europe competed with each other to serve the most extravagent meals, and as a consequence, chefs and their recipes were much in demand. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s the formal cooking and recipe publications became really popular. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, spent years to collating, testing, and recording recipes common in their social group. When we get to the 1900s, cooking books are in high demand, mostly as a result of more people being able to read, increased leisure time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Basic Cheesecake Filling recipe.
