Cheese cake Improvement

[Preya_M]

I made at least 3 cheesecakes since Christmas, one was a mint oreo (turned out pretty good), another was my regular recipe and the last was one that I added an extra ingredient in. My parents said that it was really good, I've never tried putting almond extract in a cheesecake, but it seemed like it enhanced the flavour. Any other suggestions?

 

[OhioTom76]

Cooks Illustrated has a recipe for an "Icebox Lemon Cheesecake".

Take out 1 1/2 lbs of cream cheese and let it get to room temperature

For the crust:

- 10 lemon cream cookies crushed into a fine meal
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Blend in food processor, then form into 9 inch spring form pan, bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes till brown. Cool for 30 minutes.

Make a lemon curd:

- 1 large egg plus one egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Cook over medium low heat for about 3 minutes until it becomes pudding like. Then add:

- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream

Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Cool in fridge.

Prepare filling:

- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- 1 envelope of gelatin (2 1/2 tsp.)

Combine and let rest for 5 minutes, then 30 seconds in microwave until bubbling. Allow to cool.

- 1 1/2 lbs of well softened cream cheese
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- pinch of salt

Blend ingredients and gelatin mixture with mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Then add:

- 1 1/4 cup of heavy cream, blend until fluffy
- add 1/4 cup of lemon curd plus the gelatin mixture, blend until incorporated

Pour into cooled crust. Smooth the top. Take remaining curd and place into plastic bag. Cut the corner and draw a design across the cheesecake. You can use a toothpick to add further detail and drag the curd across the cheese cake filling. Let it chill in the fridge for 6 hours.

 

[Preya_M]

This seems like a yummy recipe, though I'll need to look into a substitute for gelatin then and substitute the eggs as well. I've never tried a lemon cheesecake, though I'm not really fond of the lemon flavour in cakes. I'll give it a shot though, do you happen to know any gelatin substitutes?

 

[NThomas]

Have you tried making your cheese cake crust with a crushed hard pretzels. It makes for a great sweet and salty taste and it is also an unexpected surprise treat. You take hard pretzel the salted kind and put them in the food processor and grin them until the reach the consistency of ground nuts. Combine with butter and bake the same way you would a graham cracker crust.

 

[Preya_M]

Have you tried making your cheese cake crust with a crushed hard pretzels. It makes for a great sweet and salty taste and it is also an unexpected surprise treat. You take hard pretzel the salted kind and put them in the food processor and grin them until the reach the consistency of ground nuts. Combine with butter and bake the same way you would a graham cracker crust.

Pretzels you say? I've never actually considered cooking with pretzels at all before, because I rarely eat them. Is there a specific brand that you recommend maybe? I used to do the graham cracker crust, but since I've tried it with oreo cookies, the oreos have won over my heart completely.

 

[SmartPea85]

Almond cheesecake sounds very good! I've put vanilla extract in cheesecake before, and I agree it enriches and enhances the taste! You could also add a few drops of Orange extract. Without being too overpowering, it might be like creamsicle cheesecake you could also add cinnamon and nutmeg either inside or on top for another twist on the original. Yum!