Every now and then my friends ask if I have ever made anything that didn't turn out. The honest and simple answer is yes. Usually this happens when I am not paying careful attention to a recipe, when I mis-judge doneness, when I don't trust my instincts, or when multi-tasking leads to a disaster. Like the time several years ago when the ceramic pie plate filled with a partially baked cheesecake shattered on the burner of an electric stove in the east coast farmhouse. After the pie plate split in half, the cheesecake filling began oozing and spilling out everywhere. More upsetting than having to throw away a much anticipated dessert was realizing it would take hours to clean up the hot mess. And the cause of this particular kitchen catastrophe? I had inadvertently left the electric burner on, thus causing an extremely hot ceramic pie plate to burst after being set on an extremely hot burner. After that fiasco, two things happened. First, I vowed never to make this or any cheesecake in a glass or ceramic pie dish again as I didn't want history to ever repeat itself. Cheesecakes would only be made in tart pans with removable bottoms or springform pans. And second, I stopped making the cheesecake causing me so much the angst. This self-imposed, slightly over-reactionary, short-sighted cheesecake hiatus finally came to end (hallelujah) over the Labor Day weekend. All I will say is it's never a good idea to deprive yourself of cheesecake bliss or any other kind of bliss for any extended period of time or for any reason. Life is too short.
I had almost forgotten how incredibly creamy this cheesecake was.
As it turned out, the lengthy cheesecake intermission wasn't completely for naught. I decided to make changes to the graham cracker crust, the baking time and temperature, and the finishing touch. In other words, I took what had been a really, really good cheesecake to a completely new level of mouthwatering lusciousness.
So what makes this cheesecake different, dare I say better, than most others? Well, for one thing there are no egg yolks in the cheesecake batter, only egg whites whipped until soft, but stable peaks form.
Changing from a 9" pie plate, to a 10 inch springform pan created a significantly better crust to filling ratio. Additionally, the consistency of the cheesecake's texture was more even than the cheesecake I remember from years back.
Back when I made this cheesecake, the graham cracker crust was (1) a mixture of crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter and (2) not pre-baked. My favorite go-to graham cracker crust is now (1) made with crushed graham crackers, sugar, butter, kosher salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and (2) pre-baked for 10 minutes in a 325 degree (F) oven. Pre-baking the crust has multiple benefits. Not only does it give the crust added color and a deeper flavor, but pre-baking helps to stabilize the crust. Preventing the crust from falling apart or crumbling when cut and/or when slices are removed from the pan. Note: Allow crust to cool 10-15 minutes before adding cheesecake batter.
Beating the room temperature cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 4-6 minutes) is a key step in the making of this cheesecake for two reasons. It contributes to the cheesecake's creamy texture and makes it easier to whisk in the whipped to soft, stable peaks egg whites. If the cream cheese/sugar mixture is too stiff, the egg whites will break down, even when carefully whisked in to the batter. Note: I generally add the vanilla after beating the cream cheese/sugar.
Pour the batter into the slightly cooled graham cracker crust and bake for 25-30 minutes in a 325 degree (F) oven (the batter will puff up slightly, yet retain a jello-like wobbliness feel to it). Note: Remove the cheesecake from the oven for five minutes before adding the sour cream topping and returning to the oven for additional baking time.
For the sour cream topping whisk together two cups of sour cream, two tablespoons of caster (or granulated) sugar, and a teaspoon a vanilla until well blended. Drop the sour cream mixture in dollops over the cheesecake and smooth with an off-set spatula being careful not to poke through the cheesecake layer. After topping with the sour cream mixture, return the cheesecake back to the 325 degree (F) oven for 10-12 minutes of additional baking time. Continuing to bake the cheesecake at the lower 325 degree (F) temperature (versus a much higher temperature), helps to ensure the top layer does not crack. But yes, if you are looking closely at some of the photos of finished cheesecake you might see a small crack. This happened while I removed the cheesecake from the pan and transferred to the cake stand.
Allow the baked cheesecake to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and chilling in the refrigerator. For best results, allow the cheesecake to chill overnight in the refrigerator (or no less than 6 hours).
The original family recipe did not call for topping the cheesecake with anything. No fresh fruit, no fruit compote. Nothing. But I absolutely love the addition of the fruit. Use your favorite berry or a combination of your favorite berries. Scatter them randomly over the top of the cheesecake or around the edge of the cheesecake. Be your best creative self. Add the fruit right no longer than an hour before you are ready to serve it, particularly if you are using any cut fruit.
This is not your heavy, dense cheesecake. It is an incredibly light, creamy one. So light you may be tempted to have a second piece in the same sitting.
This Cheesecake with Berries made its return debut at the family dinner over the Labor Day weekend. For a myriad of reasons, I had never served it to them before. There weren't any crumbs left on their plates. And words like 'best ever' could be heard around the table.
Even with all the changes made, this cheesecake still bears some resemblance to the original family recipe. I may be a bit biased, but I believe this version is even better than the original. Thank goodness it is now back in my life.
I know, I have been on a dessert blog posting roll for awhile now. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we all need a little balance in our meals. I promise the next couple of posts will fall into the savory category. This Cheesecake with Berries wasn't the only 'new' thing I served at the family Labor Day dinner. A Grilled Flank Steak with Rosemary with a Chimichurri Sauce along with a throw down worthy Potato Salad, not yet blog posted recipes, were also on the menu. Given how hectic the holiday weekend was, I am keeping my fingers crossed I captured enough photos of both of them. I like keeping my promises.
Cheesecake with Berries (several changes made to an old family recipe)
Serves 8-10, depending on how you slice it
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups (220 g) graham cracker crumbs, preferably made by crushing graham crackers
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but recommended)
Cheesecake
24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
16 ounces sour cream
2 Tablespoons caster, superfine, or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 cups assorted fruit (e.g., blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants)
Directions
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended.
3. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides (about 1/2") of a 10"springform pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
Cheesecake
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Approximately 4-6 minutes.
3. Add vanilla and mix until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until soft, but stable peaks form.
5. On low speed, using a whisk attachment on the standing mixer, blend in egg whites until no white streaks remain. Or alternately, use a hand held whisk to blend the egg whites into cream cheese mixture using a until no white streaks can be seen.
6. Pour cheesecake batter into the pre-baked crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until puffy, but still jiggly like jello.
7. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before putting sour cream mixture on top.
8. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
9. Drop dollops of the sour cream mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Smooth with an offset spatula.
10. Return to the oven and continue baking for 10-12 minutes. Note: My baking time was 12 minutes.
11. Place pan on a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 1 hour or until it has cooled completely before covering in plastic wrap and refrigerating. Chill cheesecake for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
12. Run a knife along the edge of the pan before unlatching the springform pan. Transfer cheesecake to cake stand or platter.
13. Arrange fruit on top of cheesecake and serve immediately.
14. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Instead of fresh fruit, can serve a fruit compote with the cheesecake. (2) For an even more luxurious finish, top each slice of cheesecake with some Luxardo Cherries. (3) If you like a thicker graham cracker crust, increase ingredients by 1/4 (i.e., 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, 7 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 5/8 teaspoon vanilla, 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon, generous pinch of kosher salt).
