New York Cheesecake

So I guess I am on a dessert streak lately. Fact is, I cook dinners all the time, but they're not always noteworthy. Anyway, some friends were in town from Israel and we all had dinner at the Davis' and I was bringing dessert. I've been poking around on Smitten Kitchen for something special to make for Scott's Birthday. He just returned from NY and didn't bring me any cheesecake (okay, it's a little hard to do) so when I saw this beauty, I couldn't resist.

This is essentially the recipe from the Smitten Kitchen website, but before I give it to you, I'll share  the changes I've made. First the recipe calls for the cheesecake to bake at 550 degrees for 12 minutes. She fudged with this and had some trouble. Unfortunately, my oven only went to 500. So, I figured I would have to try it at 500. At around 8 minutes, you could tell the outer edge was starting to set, but the top was also browning, so I turned the temperature down to 200 at that point. Luck would have it I still hadn't found a recipe for Scott's birthday and so as I was baking the cheesecake I turned upon a cheesecake recipe from Cook's Ilustrated that said the way to keep a cheesecake from cracking is to make sure the internal temperature doesn't rise above 150 degrees. So, when I checked my cake (using an instant read thermometer) at about an hour and 20, it was in the 130 degree range. I let it go for another 40 minutes or so (remember we're cooking at 200 degrees) until it was just about 150. The center was more than a little wobbly, but it set nicely when it was cooled and was very creamy. Compared to several other recipes I have found where there is a water bath and several other tricks to keep things creamy and un-cracked, this was super easy and the texture was great.
For the topping I used fresh cherries and initially it seemed like it was going to be too thick, but I cooled it with a lid on top and after some refrigeration they loosened.  I've increased the topping to a 1 1/2 recipe because the original recipe was not enough to cover the cake.


Crumb crust
8 ounces (15 4 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch sheets of graham cracker) finely ground graham crackers
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

filling:
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cherry topping
15 ounces cherries, pitted (they’re not in season here so I used frozen; worked just fine)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, add more to taste if using sour cherries
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup water

Make crumb crust: Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and up the sides, stopping one inch shy of the top rim, of a buttered 9 1/2-inch (or 24 cm) springform pan. You can fill it right away but I like to pop my into the freezer so it quickly sets while I prepare the filling.

Make very tall cheesecake filling: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour and zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, then eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated. Scrape bowl down between additions.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan (to catch drips). Pour filling into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and bake in baking pan in the middle of the oven for 8-12 minutes or until puffed. Please watch your cake because some ovens will top-brown very quickly and if yours does too fast, turn the oven down as soon as you catch it. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees and continue baking until cake is about 145 degrees (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours).
Run a knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it and cool the cake completely in springform on a rack, then chill it, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

Make cherry topping (optional): Place all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cook it for an additional one to two minutes then remove from heat. Cool completely.
Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate.
Spread topping over chilled cheesecake.

This cheesecake is best if let to sit out for about an hour before serving.

Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

Banana Cream Pie

So here's the big confession. I can make a great pie, but it's never a pretty sight. I think I lack the quality of perfectionism that might make others agonize over a perfectly shaped pie crust. So, we don't have a picture of the pie, but if you want something super yummy, you've got to try the banana cream pie. This is a recipe my mom made while I was growing up and to me it is pure comfort food. Be sure to use ripe bananas (no green), but not over-ripe either. I actually made this one night for dessert for our picnic at Ravinia Festival and over heard a lady next to us comment to her friend "who makes pies anymore?" in disbelief. Ha ha. I do, and you would too if you knew how yummy this one is.

Banana Cream Pie

Baked pie shell 8" (see recipe below)
1/2 C. Sugar
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C. Milk
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Bananas (I use 4 if they are small)
Whipped cream or cool whip (my family usually uses cool whip, but I know some are opposed)

Slice bananas and cover the bottom of the pie shell.

In a double boiler combine sugar flour cornstarch and salt mix with wooden spoon. Blend in milk and yolks add butter place over rapidly boiling water cook until thick and smooth stirring constantly (about 7 min.) Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Pour custard over the bananas and chill.

When ready to serve top with whipped cream or cool whip or whipped cream.


Pie Crust
So, this pie crust is the easy man's pie crust. This was given to my mom by my parent's friend's mom. It's super easy and gives great results. Forget all the complicated pie crust voodoo. This one really is fool proof and super flaky, just don't over mix it.

2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 C. Oil
1/4 C. Cold milk

Mix dry ingredients with a fork. Fold in oil and milk until moistened but not completely mixed.

Roll between wax sheets. Turn into in pie plate and shape.

Poke generously with fork over sides and bottom and creases and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Chocolate Pudding

This is an ironic follow-up to my last post. I'm pretty sure Ilan cracked what was apparently a weak molar on the un-popped popcorn kernels that I told him not to eat when we made kettle corn. So, now after he's had his dental work done, poor guy, he has to eat soft foods, so I made him some pudding. This recipe makes 2 good sized servings. Ilan had some after dinner and he said "Ima, this is so yummy I can't believe it!"

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1 tablespoon cocoa , preferably Dutched
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch table salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add milk all at once and whisk to incorporate. Stir in chocolate.

2. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon and making sure to scrape edges of pan, for 2 minutes. (Mixture will become thick and glossy.)

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour pudding into heatproof bowls or ramekins, place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled. (Pudding will keep for up to 2 days.)

Kettle Corn

Last week for one of our K exercises we made Kettle Corn and failed miserably. I think in my effort to keep the sugar from burning (cooking over a lower temp.) the popcorn didn't get hot enough to pop and ended up burning. So, this time, when Ilan requested kettle corn for family game night, I kept it hot and had a great result. This recipe makes a large bowl of popcorn, which is really hard to resist.

1/4 C. Oil
1 C. Popcorn
1/2 C. Sugar
Salt to taste

Heat oil and popcorn in large pot with lid on. When you can hear the oil sizzle add the sugar and stir. Return lid to pot and shake occasionally to keep everything from burning. When popcorn starts to pop shake vigorously over the burner. When all the popcorn is popped pour it into a large bowl and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and toss to coat. Enjoy!

What I'm Drinking

I found these while I was pregnant with Aitan, and wished that I had them when I was pregnant with Ilan and wanted all things tart and lemon! Oh well. I don't drink soda often, so having one of these is a treat. Puts sprite and 7-up to shame and wait...it's real sugar instead of corn poison.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

This picture really doesn't do justice to this salad. We had it the other night at Bobbi and Owen's house and I have been thinking about it ever since! It is the perfect meal or side dish for summer when the tomatoes are perfectly ripe. I don't have measurements for anything...you just have to put in how much till it suits you.

Day-old baguette, cut in chunks
Heirloom tomatoes (or any other nice ripe tomatoes)
Basil, chopped
Garlic, minced
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Ricotta Cheese

If the bread is not hard, toast it in a low temperature oven until it is dried and hard. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into large chunks. Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss in the dried bread pieces. Serve with a dollop of Ricotta cheese on top.

Tiramisu

Scott asked me tonight how many servings we have left of the Tiramisu. So far, we have had 2 each, and have shared it with Harrison and Jessica, Ryan and Amanda, and I think there are about 4 more servings. I told him there were at least two more each and he had a pained looked on his face. He wished there was less because he can't resist having it if its in the fridge, but when I offered that we could take some to the neighbors he flatly refused. It's pretty good, but I would reserve this one for a special occasions. It can be pricey: I used 3 tubs of TJ's mascarpone at $2.99 each and three packages of lady fingers at $2.99 each.

2.5 C. Strong Coffee, room temperature
1 1/2 Tbsp. Instant Espresso Granules
9 Tbsp. Dark rum, divided
6 lg. Egg Yolks
2/3 C. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Table Salt
1 1/2 lb. Mascarpone
1/3 plus 3/4 C. Heavy Cream
14 oz. Ladyfingers
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Grated Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Stir coffee, espresso and 5 Tbsp. rum in wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add 1/3 C. cream, sugar and salt and beat at med-high speed until pale yellow. 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice.

Set bowl with yolks over medium saucepan containing 1 inch gently simmering water; cook, constantly scraping along bottom and sides of bowl with heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 160 degress on instant-read thermometer, 4-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir vigorously to cool slightly, then set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Whisk in remaining 4 Tbsp. rum until combined. Transfer bowl to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, add marscapone, and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30-45 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1-1.5 minutes longer. Using ruber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascapone mixture aside.

Working one at a time, drop half of lady-fingers into coffee mixture, roll, remove, and transfer to 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixtue; entire process should take no longer than 2-3 seconds for each cookie) Arrange soaked cookies in singel layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to git neatly into dish.
Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixtue to sides and into corners of dish and smoth surface. Place 2 Tbsp. cocoa in fine-mesh strainer ad dust cocoa over mascarpone.