Monday, January 16, 2012

Cheesecake 101

{note: there is always prep work to baking anything and it's the same with a cheesecake. These are not completely necessary, but will make the 'work' a whole lot more fun! So without any further comments let'sgo...}

1. Find a recipe. optional
2. Grab a sister. recommended


3.Turn on some music. essential
4. Get started. obvious

 {And to tell the complete truth about this recipe, or the lack thereof, we decided to try some different things and so in this case several recipes were used}

Now onto the real thing.

-Oreo/graham cracker crust--my absolute favorite!


-grind/shred/break up graham crackers and oreo's 
- mix together and combine melted butter
{note: the recipes always add sugar to the crust, but hey, oreo's are sweet enough for me}


-mix together with melted butter
-press onto 9" spring-form pan 
{yes, I'm lucky enough to have the Pampered Chef spring-form pan--LOVE. And yes, you should all be jealous}

Wahla!! Done with the crust!


-add ingredients to a brownie mix (yep, we were lazy)
-stir


-sample a bit of brownie batter
{note: this utensil was washed and dried before being used again}


- beat up that softened cream cheese w/sugar
- add other specified ingredients i.e. eggs, sour cream, vanilla, cocoa powder
{note: add the eggs last and mix till just combined}


-cut up cooled brownies into small squares
-add small squared brownies to cheesecake batter
-pour batter over crust
-place pan in the oven
{note: yes, the pan is in a water bath--LOVE. Wrap the bottom of the pan in two sheets of aluminum foil, place in a pan like so, fill with about an inch with water and bake.}


-do not get overwhelmed with the dishes
{note: more energizing music is recommended here...but that's just me...}


-remove cheesecake from oven
{note: I always double guess myself when it comes to cheesecakes being done. So when in doubt remove it even if it looks slightly undone--the middle should be barely set and dull looking. They will 'set' after you pull it our--a moist cheesecake is always better than a dry one}
-let cool for about an hour and then refrigerate overnight 
-garnish with whatever you so desire
{note: chocolate sauce is NEVER a bad choice}


-Enjoy
{note: this is the best part}



6 comments:

Celeste said...

Three questions: 1) how do you keep the crust from sticking to the side of the pan, 2) how do you get your cheesecake off the pan, 3) how do you cut yours (floss or a certain knife)?
btw...the cake looks delish...will you send out a charitable donation to each of your devoted lurkers/followers? ;)

Celeste

Anonymous said...

looks SUUUPER good anna. Your recipe is so cute too :)

Kimberly said...

What flavor of cheesecake is it? I would love if you could put the recipe up for all of us lazy people, who really don't experiment that much.
:)

Anna B. said...

Celeste--thanks for your questions!
1. My spring-form pan has a non-stick surface and I've never had any problems with it. However my previous one didn't...so 10 min. after I pulled it from the oven I ran a plastic knife around the outside edge. And I did spray it with non-stick spray
2. I use a metal spatula to get it off. Once again, I have a glass base for my pan and so it comes super smooth!
3. And I use whatever knife I find handy:)

Hope that helps!

Celeste said...

Thanks for your reply, Anna...and yes, Pampered Chef is 'da bomb'...definitely my go-to for hope chest fillers ;).

btw...I second Kimberly's recipe request! Cheesecakes are my favorite desserts for every & all occasions...the more yummy recipes the better as far as I'm concerned.

Elizabeth. said...

Oh, how I want to try this!! =) I adore cheesecake, although I have never made it before, since we do not have a springform pan. I'm going to have to check with both of my grandmas to see if one of them has one. =) Thanks for all of the great recipes...I'm sure your family is very blessed to have such a great chef in the home! =) If only I could have a slice of that cheesecake right now...

Blessings!!
Elizabeth