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