Sublime Cheesecakes
Cheesecake is a dessert that can be dressed up or down in a multitude of ways.
Recipes range in complexity from the simplest three-ingredient filling poured
into a store-bought graham cracker crust, to the most painstaking triple-layer
chocolate-amaretto-espresso cheesecake with homemade fudge brownie crust. But
no matter how you dress it, cheesecake is one of the most luxurious desserts
around, and is well worth a word or two of advice.
Baking Cheesecake
Cheesecakes tend to get overcooked. A cheesecake is done when the center is
still wobbly. It looks undercooked at this stage but it isn't. At this time
simply leave the door of the oven closed, turn off the heat and let the
cheesecake cool for at least one hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from
sinking in the center. After chilling the once wobbly center should firm up
just fine and without the unattractive cracks that overcooking causes.
Putting the cheese in cheesecake
There is one ingredient that all cheesecakes have: cream cheese. As obvious as
this may be, the way you treat the cream cheese has a serious impact on your
final product. When buying cream cheese for your cheesecake, make sure you buy
the kind in a solid block, not the whipped cream cheese that comes in a tub.
Whipped cream cheese has already had a great deal of air whipped into it, and
will not give your cheesecake the texture you are looking for. It is also
imperative that your cream cheese be at room temperature before you begin
mixing it. Cold cream cheese is sure to result in lumpy cheesecake. Using cold
cream cheese will also lead to overbeating, since you will have to whip it for
a long, long time to make it smooth, and in the process, you will whip too much
air into the cream cheese. Also, unless the recipe instructions specifically
note otherwise, you should beat the cream cheese by itself until it's smooth
and light before you add any of the other ingredients.
It's all about the texture
Eating cheesecake is a very sensual experience; texture is everything. Some
recipes contain a small amount of starch, such as flour or cornstarch. These
recipes will result in a cheesecake whose texture is slightly more firm and
cakelike. These flour-containing cheesecakes can be baked directly on the oven
rack at moderate temperatures. Cheesecake recipes that do not contain flour are
intended to be delightfully smooth and silky. To achieve the proper texture,
these cheesecakes must be baked in a water bath at a lower temperature.
I have to give my cheesecake a bath?
Cheesecake can be a delicate thing; you want to bake it slowly and evenly
without browning the top. The most effective way to do this is to bake it in a
water bath. This means that your cheesecake pan is surrounded by water as it
bakes, receiving the more gentle, even heat of the water rather than the direct
and uneven heat of the oven coils. To make a water bath, you set the cheesecake
pan inside a roasting pan on the oven rack, then pour boiling water into the
roasting pan until the water is at least halfway up the sides of the cheesecake
pan (but NOT spilling over the top!).
Water bath pointers:
� You should use a roasting pan that allows at least 2
inches of space between the edge of the cheesecake pan and the edge of the
roasting pan. For example, if your cheesecake pan is 9 inches in diameter, use
a roasting pan that's at least 13 inches across.
� Place a heavy dishtowel in the bottom of the roasting pan
before you set the cheesecake in it. This will protect the bottom of the
cheesecake from receiving any direct heat from the oven coils.
� Finally, be sure you fill the bath with water that is
already boiling (heat a pot-full on the stovetop). If you don't start with
boiling water, it will take a very long time for the water to get hot in the
oven, and will throw off your baking time.
Sublime Cheesecakes (Continued from page 1)
Spring ahead
Most cheesecake recipes will call for a springform pan. A springform is a
round, straight-sided pan with a removable bottom. You detach the sides from
the base by pulling a lever on the side of the pan. Before you pour the filling
into your springform pan, check to be absolutely sure that the base is attached
tightly and evenly to the sides; we don't want you to experience the heartbreak
of opening the oven to see your cheesecake oozing out the bottom of its pan. If
you're baking your cheesecake in a water bath, you should also take the
precaution of tightly wrapping the bottom and sides of the springform pan with
aluminum foil, to be absolutely sure that water will not leak in through the
bottom of the pan.
Is it done yet?
Overbaking a cheesecake is one of the deadly sins of the kitchen. But it's also
one of the most difficult things to gauge correctly. Cheesecake is very coy and
deceptive; when it's done, it never LOOKS done. A properly cooked cheesecake
will still have a wobbly 2 or 3 inch circle in the center. Removing the
cheesecake at this point, then chilling it overnight, will help you achieve the
perfect silky texture you're looking for. For this reason, it's essential to
bake your cheesecake at least one day before you plan to serve it. When a
cheesecake forms cracks in the top of it's because the cheesecake has been
overbaked. However, once you remove the cheesecake from the oven, you can still
try to thwart cracking by running a thin knife blade carefully around the
inside rim of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. To keep the
sides of your cheesecake intact, you should do this one more time before you
un-clamp the springform pan, too.
Sweet Success
After you've completely cooled it in the refrigerator, you're ready to serve
your masterpiece! To keep the sides of the cheesecake intact, you'll need to
gently run a paring knife between the side of the cake and the pan, being
careful not to cut into the cake. Unlatch the clasp and remove the sides of the
pan. Then run a knife between the pan and the bottom of the cake, once more
being careful not to cut into the cake. If you want to transfer your cheesecake
to a serving dish, slide the knife straight in and lift the cake up about two
inches. Quickly slide your hand under the cake with your fingers spread, and
transfer it to your dish. This trick can occasionally end in disaster, so you
may prefer to serve your cake on the pan bottom instead. Even if you leave your
creamy creation on the pan, you can still place it on a beautiful plate or
platter, and, if you like, dress it up with a few sprigs of mint and perhaps
some fresh berries or chocolate curls. Now your cheesecake looks as
good as it tastes; serve it with pride.
Are you ready? It's time to put your newly acquired cheesecake expertise to the
test!
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to
you when you have forgotten the words.
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