| Dense and rich, light and fluffy or silky smooth, | | | | causing lumps. To alleviate this, add ingredients |
| cheesecake is one of America's favorite desserts. | | | | separately and blend well in between each addition. |
| Because the basic recipe can have so many | | | | Start with room temperature cream cheese and |
| variations, the chef who bakes this self-indulgent | | | | blend it in a mixer until it is creamy and smooth. |
| treat can get as creative as s/he wants. Plain | | | | Add eggs one at a time then allow time for each |
| cheesecake is the perfect canvas for developing | | | | egg to incorporate fully into the batter before |
| elegant desserts that send your taste buds | | | | adding the next. This rule applies to all liquids |
| soaring. | | | | including cream or liquid or semi-liquid fillings such |
| However, as some culinary school graduates and | | | | as pumpkin, chocolate or caramel sauce; bananas; |
| professional chefs will tell you, there are definite | | | | amaretto; lemon or lime juice; etc. Lastly, some |
| dos and don'ts to making mouthwatering | | | | cooking school instructors will recommend scraping |
| cheesecake. Let's find out one of the most | | | | the mixing bowl frequently as a final measure to |
| failsafe methods taught in cooking schools for | | | | preventing lumps. |
| creating this to-die-for dessert. | | | | Avoiding Cracks |
| Most Popular Ingredients | | | | A cracked surface to cheesecake is not only |
| Since 1872, we've enjoyed cream cheese. Made | | | | unattractive, but it can also signify that your |
| from cream and cow's milk, this dense, smooth, | | | | cheesecake is going to be dry. Too much air |
| unripened cheese was designed to be rich and | | | | added too quickly, too much moisture and too |
| spreadable. Culinary school students can quickly | | | | high an oven temperature are the three primary |
| learn that cream cheese is the most popular | | | | reasons cheesecakes crack. |
| ingredient in cheesecake. It is not, however, the | | | | When too much air is incorporated into the batter |
| only foundational ingredient. Many recipes include | | | | too quickly (usually from setting your mixer on |
| ricotta cheese or cottage cheese in place of or in | | | | medium-high or high), it gets trapped within the |
| addition to cream cheese. It's the flavor and | | | | moisture. Once the cheesecake begins to bake, |
| consistency of cream cheese that make it the | | | | the moisture is released and rises to the surface. |
| overwhelming first choice by those who make | | | | As the air expands in the heat of the oven, it |
| and those who consume cheesecake. | | | | usually causes a cracked surface. |
| The most frequently found variety of | | | | Tapping the bottom of your filled pan on the |
| cheesecake seen in restaurants is plain | | | | countertop is a good way to release some of the |
| cheesecake topped with fruit or sauce. This allows | | | | air from within the batter. It will not release all the |
| the chef to create one type of cheesecake yet | | | | air, however. |
| still offer options to guests by varying the | | | | To counteract excess moisture and air, blend |
| toppings. Strawberries, blueberries and chocolate | | | | your batter on low or medium-low speed. Also, |
| sauce are by far the three most popular. | | | | even if your recipe doesn't call for it, add one to |
| Preventing Lumpy Batter | | | | two tablespoonfuls of flour. Lastly, bake your |
| When you think of culinary excellence, a city that | | | | cheesecakes in a water bath. Fill the exterior pan |
| often comes to mind is Miami. Culinary school | | | | until hot water reaches halfway up the sides of |
| graduates who enter the workforce in this | | | | the cheesecake pan. This helps keep moisture on |
| food-oriented town quickly find there are certain | | | | the outside of the cheesecake (rather than the |
| professional secrets to making cheesecake that is | | | | inside) and also regulates the temperature of the |
| as smooth as glass. Lumpy batter is to be | | | | oven, so it doesn't get too hot. |
| avoided at all costs. | | | | The next time you want to impress your family |
| The biggest contributor to lumpy batter is | | | | or guests, use these tips to create a cheesecake |
| moisture. When too much moisture collects in | | | | that delivers a beautiful presentation as well as |
| your filling, it tends to bind ingredients together, | | | | luscious taste! |