Eating and Making Cheesecake

From The New Best Recipe comes this lemon cheesecake, discovered at this recipe blog! No recipe, just a picture. I believe a picture, in this case, is worth a thousand bites.

Lemon Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
The best comes second. A beautiful looking Lemon Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust at Epicurious - Where people love to eat. It's from a specific area, Bon Appetit. I get the feeling I shouldn't put this website in bookmarks, for fear of using it just that often. Gingersnaps are wonderful on their own, can you imagine the powerful spice in combination with the lemon's sweet tang? Want to know something else? One of the reviewers said this, "I substituted lime for lemon and made the best cheesecake I have ever had." - A Cook from Halixa NS. I tried this as well. I would recommend only adding only a little extra lime though, otherwise the lemon taste is overpowered.

Recipe:

Crust
2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
5 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs
3 cups (24 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon leaves or twists (optional)

Preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl until evenly moistened. Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter removable-bottom cheesecake pan with 3-inch-high sides. Bake crust until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Stack 3 large sheets of foil on work surface. Place same cake pan in center. Gather foil snugly around pan bottom and up sides to waterproof.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, then salt. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream, grated lemon peel, and lemon juice. Pour filling into pan.

Place wrapped cake pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake cake until filling is slightly puffed and moves only slightly when pan is shaken gently, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack 2 hours. Chill uncovered until cold; cover and keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around pan sides; carefully loosen pan bottom from sides and push up pan bottom to release cake. Place cake (still on pan bottom) on platter. Garnish with lemon leaves or twists.

Test-kitchen tips
The pan: It must be three inches high to hold all the filling. If your nine-inch springform pan is that high, it can be used instead.
The cream cheese: For best results, use Philadelphia brand.
The crust: Grind the gingersnaps in the processor or place them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin.

Three-Lemon Cheesecake
For another great recipe, see this site (who reprinted the recipe with permission, so I feel it's best to send you right to them!), Three-Lemon Cheesecake - Quote: "The body of this easy cheesecake has a nice mellow lemony flavor, but it's the glaze that delivers the real zingy, zangy lemony punch. Serve it with whole berries or Raspberry Coulis (page 130 of the book)." - Looks great. Three zings are better than one.

Frozen Lemon Cheesecake
From The Domestic Goddess comes this recipe, a cold and heavy cake, the way I really like them. Recipe is:

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate chip cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 eggs, beaten lightly
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
16 ounces or 2 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups whipping cream

Directions:

Crust:
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit bottom of 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. Cut a 30 x 3-inch (75 x 8-cm) strip of parchment paper to fit inside edge of pan. Combine crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Press evenly into bottom of pan and refrigerate until firm.

Cheesecake:
1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in lemon juice then beaten eggs until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in zest. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. In a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add lemon mixture from step one and combine.

3. Place whipping cream in a separate bowl and beat until stiff. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into mascarpone mixture then fold in remaining whipped cream until smooth. Spoon lemon-cream mixture into prepared pan with crust and smooth top with an off-set spatula. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. (Can be frozen in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

4. Remove sides of pan. Transfer dessert from metal base to serving plate. Remove parchment paper around sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 4 hours to soften slightly.

5. To serve, garnish with fresh berries and lemon zest or chocolate sauce.

Start author's comments
after-thoughts:

This can also be served as a frozen mousse-type of dessert. Layer the cookie crumbs and lemon mixture in tall champagne glasses. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving.

recipe origin: Based on a recipe from the LCBO magazine, Holiday 1999. End :)

Simple Cheesecake Recipe - Found at http://www.essortment.com/ - It has to be the easiest recipe I've seen. For those that are in a rush to get thier fix. Bake, then chill, then eat. Save a couple hours, I guess.

8 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp butter

1/2 c sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp flour

2/3 c milk

1/4 c lemon juice

2 tbsp grated lemon peel (opt)

1 graham cracker crust (unbaked)

Cream cheese and butter; add sugar and egg. Mix well. Add flour, milk, lemon juice and peel. Pour into graham cracker crust; bake 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Chill.

Glaze 1 of 3

Both this site and

this site have the same strawberry cheescake posted, wonder how good it is. It looks quite simple, so all I'm going to post is the strawberry glaze.

Glaze
1 c Strawberries; mashed
1 c Sugar
3 tb Cornstarch
1/3 c Water

GLAZE: Blend sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in water and strawberries. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Cool thoroughly.

Glaze 2 of 3

From About.com, however, this is also for arranging strawberry slices ON the pie!

Strawberry Glaze

* 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
* few drops red food coloring, optional

Cut 10 to 12 strawberries in half; arrange in a single layer, cut side down, over the cooled cheesecake. Crush enough remaining strawberries to make 1/3 cup; put in saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Press through a strainer to make 1/2 cup of puree. Return the 1/2 cup puree to the saucepan. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the puree in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened and clear. Add food coloring, if desired. Cool slightly; spoon evenly over strawberries on cheesecake. Cool and store, covered, in refrigerator.

Glaze 3 of 3
From Global Gourmet:

In blender or food processor purée 2 baskets of strawberries with the 1/4 cup sugar and the 4 teaspoons lemon juice; strain sauce to remove seeds.

Strawberry-Strawberry Cheesecake
Epicurious continues to have amazing recipes by Bon Appetit such as this strawberry-strawberry cheesecake:
Crust
1 10-ounce package shortbread cookies (such as Lorna Doone)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
10 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries (about 2 3/4 cups), thawed, juices reserved
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping
1/3 cup strawberry or currant jelly
3 1-pint baskets fresh strawberries, hulled, halved lengthwise
Preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Grind cookies in processor to coarse crumbs. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture over bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust until just golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Puree thawed strawberries and juices in processor until smooth. Measure 3/4 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use); do not wash bowl. Add cream cheese and sugar to processor. Blend until smooth. Using on/off turns, blend in flour. Add eggs; process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add 3/4 cup strawberry puree, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract; process until well blended. Transfer filling to prepared crust.

Bake cake until center is softly set and edges begin to color, puff and crack, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Place hot cheesecake on rack. Refrigerate uncovered on rack until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

For topping:
Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides. Stir jelly in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted. Arrange berry halves atop cheesecake in concentric circles; brush with warm jelly to glaze. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Strawberry Cheesecake or Pie

I'm not saying this is a real recipe, or even cheesecake for that matter, but it deserves a honorable mention because... well... its entertaining. Just FOUR ingredients, as described here.

Quote:
"Courtesy: My sis :>

You can make strawberry cheese cake or pie in which u need a base of biscuit it can be made with marie biscuits or wheatabix biscuits%u2026just take some biscuits,crush them add caster sugar and some butter to make a base.

Mix these things and put in a dish and join them tightly for a solid firm base.

Take strawberries as much as u like after washing them put in sauce pan add sugar and heat at high temperature so that some sauce like thing is formed but it must not be very watery as sugar melts and make it thin ,heat it and make thick paste and then cool it in fridge

Now pour this mixture over the base u made

Then take the cream, whip it with sugar and pour over the strawberries but they must be cool not warm then decorate it with fresh strawberries

Eat when chilled - it will be shartia very tasty and very easy to make warna paisay wapis.

You'll only be needing strawberries,sugar,cream, and marie biscuits."

I have to say, that's quite... interesting. And descriptive. Honorable mention though. Definitely.

"Healthy" Low-Fat Strawberry Cheesecake

From Healthy Recipes at carefirst.staywellsolutions.com, comes this low fat recipe. For those that love the taste, cant handle the calorie guilt.

6 graham crackers (2-1/2-inch square)

Cooking spray

2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved

3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush graham crackers. Spread evenly over bottom of lightly sprayed 8- or 9-inch pie pan. Beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until well blended, about five minutes. Add eggs and blend. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is almost set. Cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Melt raspberry jam with water in microwave or on top of stove. Cut wedges and put on serving plates. Arrange strawberries over wedges and drizzle melted jam over each piece.
Serves eight

Each slice contains approximately 186 calories, 28 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 451 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

Three cheesecakes that have strawberrys in the filling

Amazingly enough, there are not that many recipes that call for strawberrys being anything but a topping or glaze for cheesecake. These next three were all on http://www.cooks.com/, at One, two, and three. Recipes follow (and three seems to worth a good look into making):

One:

1 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
4 drops red food coloring
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
4 eggs
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 c. Cool Whip
1 box strawberry cake mix

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Set aside 1 cup cake mix.

CRUST: In large bowl, combine remaining cake mix, one egg and oil. Press this mixture evenly in bottom and 3/4 way up sides of well greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.

FILLING: Blend cream cheese and sugar. Add 3 eggs and the one cup reserved cake mix. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Then at low speed, slowly add milk, lemon juice and food coloring.

Mix until smooth and pour into crust. Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is firm. When completely cool, spread with Cool Whip topping. Chill before serving.

NOTE: (1) May use two 9 inch pans and bake 40-50 minutes. (2) May vary cake mix flavor. (I've tried lemon - almost as good as strawberry). (3) While cake is cooling, it may split the middle, but it's easily covered with topping.

Two:

Dissolve 1 small package of sugar-free strawberry Jello in 1/2 cup boiling water. Add 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries. Put into blender; blend until smooth. Gradually add 1 (16 ounce) carton of low-fat cottage cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate until set.

Three:

Crust:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar

Cheesecake:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
10 ounces frozen strawberries (thawed), in syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Puree strawberries and cornstarch in blender. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened, then cool. Combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour half of the batter over the crust then add half of the strawberry mixture by spoonfuls to the batter. Pour remaining batter into the pan then add the remaining strawberry mixture by spoonfuls. Swirl the mixture with a knife until it resembles a marbled effect. Bake at 300 F. for 50-60 minutes or until set. Allow cheesecake to cool then remove from rim of pan. Chill overnight before serving.

Serving Size: 12

Chocolate Cheesecake
Michele's Famous Chocolate Cheesecake is described by the author as "smooth, creamy, rich, tangy, and succulent." And, from the recipe ingredients and method, it looks like this holds true to her word. I'll have to make this one myself sooner rather than later.

Ingredients:

For the crust

* 25 chocolate wafers, crushed
* 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
* 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

For the cake

* 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, softened
* 2 cups sour cream
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
* 2 tbs cocoa powder
* 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together wafers and butter and press into a well-buttered 10 inch springform pan. Chill while you assemble the cake. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in melted chocolate, cocoa, and vanilla blending thoroughly. Beat in the sour cream.

Pour mixture into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cake might look runny, but it will firm up as it chills. Cool at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

Cappuccino Cheesecake
Cappuccino Cheesecake, Courtesy of the linked site. I personally LOVE coffee and ANY of its related tastes, which I group cappuccino in. I actually got this the second I enabled the blog function at the bottom of the page. This program must read minds or something!

Recipe follows:

1 1/2 c Finely Chopped Nuts

2 tb Sugar

3 tb Margarine, Melted

32 oz Cream Cheese, Softened 1 c Sugar

3 tb Unbleached All-purpose Flour

4 ea Large Eggs

1 c Sour Cream

1 tb Instant Coffee Granules 1/4 ts Cinnamon 1/4 c
Boiling water

Combine nuts, sugar, and margarine; press onto bottom of
9-inch spring- form cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees F., 10 minutes. Combine cream
cheese, sugar, and flour, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well
blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in
sour cream. Dissolve coffee granules and cinnamon in water. Cool; gradually add
to cream cheese mixture, mixing until well blended. Pour over crust. Bake at
450 degrees F., 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F.; continue
baking 1 hour. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.
Chill. Garnish with whipped cream and whole coffee beans if desired.

All Chocolate Cheesecake
From the doors of cdkitchen comes this chocolate crust and cake.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 packages (8-ounce size) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
5 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix chocolate crumbs, cinnamon, and butter together and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Mix together cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in flour. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Pour over prepared crust. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes that then lower oven to 300F. Bake for an additional 45 minutes and then turn oven off and allow the cake to cool down with the oven for an hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
I wasn't sure if I should put this in a new category, or just expand this one... so lets add it in here! This comes from Rachel Ray, and looks amazing.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Silvana Nardone
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
February 2008

10 SERVINGS
Prep Time: 30 min (plus cooling)
Bake Time: 1 hour
Ingredients

One 10-ounce box shortbread cookies, such as Lorna Doone
1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups dulce de leche or other caramel sauce
Boiling water, for baking

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Using a food processor, finely chop the cookies, nuts, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the butter and pulse until just combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
2. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until softened, 2 minutes. Beat in the flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, on medium speed. Mix in 1 cup dulce de leche.
3. Pour the batter into the crust. Loosely cover the pan with foil, set in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to reach a depth of 1 inch. Bake the cheesecake until set at the edges but slightly wobbly in the center, about 55 minutes.
4. Transfer the cake to a rack; let rest for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining 3/4 cup dulce de leche over the warm cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then remove the springform and slice the cheesecake.

Caramel Toffee Cheesecake

Recipe

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

2 lbs. cream cheese
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. flour
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup toffee pieces

1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Cheesecake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp. of sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes and set aside.

3. For the filling, mix the cream cheese and sugar with a paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the flour on low speed. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and the bottom after each egg. Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Fold in toffee pieces.

4. Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Wrap aluminum foil around the outside of the pan and bake in a water batch for approximately 1 1/2 hours. A knife inserted should come out clean when cake is done. Chill cake overnight and then top when caramel sauce.

It was found at this blog. It looks great. There are pictures!

Banana Cheesecake Recipe

First comes a common recipe online, just your quick and simple blend, pour, and bake, with a couple optional ingredients. Recipe is from Recipesource, and Cdkitchen.

1 10 inch pie crust, pre-baked-for 10 minutes
12 oz Cream cheese
1 1/2 c Plain yogurt
2 c Pureed bananas -(about 4 medium bananas)
2 Eggs (optional)
1/4 c Honey (optional)

Blend all the ingredients in the blender until smooth
and creamy. Pour into the pre-baked pie crust and bake
for 30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool before
serving. You can top with a layer of yogurt and
decorate with any fresh fruit (try a mixture of
strawberry and banana slices). Serve well chilled.

Without the eggs and honey, each serving will contain:
410 calories, 49 milligrams cholesterol, 18 grams fat,
11 grams protein.

Coarsely Ground Bananas Cheesecake
However, this is the one that I prefer. Although, I still get a round of confusion whenever I see "coarsely ground" bananas. From Cooks.com comes this rich bananas recipe.

1 c. coarsely ground pecans
6 to 8 graham crackers, crushed
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
3 c. coarsely ground (not pureed) bananas
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the pecans and cracker crumbs. Work in the butter until the crumbs begin to stick together. Pat the mixture onto the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.

This will just cover bottom (but a heavy crust isn't desired here). Set it in the refrigerator to chill.

Meanwhile, cream the sugar and cream cheese until the mixture is very light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat them well. Stir in the bananas and vanilla and stir the mixture well to blend.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated 300 degree oven for one hour. Allow it to cool in the oven for an additional hour (don't open the oven door). Chill the cake before serving. It's very rich and should be served in thin slices.

Roasted bananas and Macadamia Nuts Cheesecake
From About.com comes this incredible sounding cheesecake. Roasted bananas!? The tablespoon of dark rum also makes me look twice!

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 Large Ripe Bananas and 3 Small Red Bananas (or 3 large regular bananas if red bananas aren't available)
* 1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Wafers
* 1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts
* 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
* 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
* 24 Ounces Cream Cheese ( 3 - 8 oz. Packages) soft
* 3/4 Cup White Sugar
* 5 Large Eggs
* 1 Tablespoon Dark Rum
* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and have a 10-inch springform pan ready. Put the bananas (unpeeled) on a baking sheet and roast in oven until they turn black (about 15 minutes). Take out of oven and let cool. Peel and set aside.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Put macadamia nuts in a food processor and give one or two short pulses. Add the vanilla wafers and brown sugar. Using short pulses, chop the ingredients until they are a uniform texture. It's ok if you have some big pieces left. Put mixture in a large bowl. Use a fork to mix in the melted butter. Press wet mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. You want an even layer across the bottom for your crust.

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add the roasted bananas, the vanilla, and rum. Beat until smooth.

Pour the filling into the springform pan over the crust you pressed in earlier. Smooth the top. Place pan on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours. When done, the cheesecake will be a light golden brown on top and will pull slightly away from the sides of the pan.

Cool cheesecake in pan at room temperature for about 15 minutes and then place in refrigerator. Keep the cheesecake in the springform pan and cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. When you are ready to serve, remove springform pan and cut with a hot knife."

Caramelized Banana Cheesecake Recipe
cdkitchen brings another rummy recipe to the fore. Look out. Heavy cream, rum, and brown sugar make this a cheesecake not to be taken lightly.

3/4 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 medium bananas -- thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dark rum -- optional
2 packages (8 oz size) cream cheese -- softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs - room temp -- slightly beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place pecans on baking sheet; toast in oven about 8 minutes. Check frequently to avoid burning; set aside. Leave oven on.

Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until melted, about 6 minutes. Add 2 sliced bananas; cook until bananas are caramelized and soft enough to mash with back of spoon. Remove from heat; set aside. Stir in rum, (if using). Combine cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar in large bowl of electric mixer. Beat until completely blended. Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla and heavy cream, add caramelized banana mixture; beat until incorporated. Put remaining tablespoon of butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and toasted pecans in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until finely ground; press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch springform pan.

Pack down firmly using palm of hand. Pour filling mixture over crust. Place pan inside larger pan and put on oven rack. Add water to depth of 2 inches. Bake until firm to touch, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven; let sit on wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Thick toffee sauce
Cdkitchen brings a good cheesecake recipe, but we already have a good collection of those. No, for this, the sauce is the recipe I want to bring out. Usable (and recommended) as either a replacement sauce or a compliment to the cheesecake, this looks great. This is especially in the banana section due to how well these two flavors match. I like to think of bananas as subtly sweet, and obviously the thick toffee sauce is anything but subtle.

2 ounces butter
3 ounces brown sugar
2 ounces granulated sugar
5 fluid ounces oz golden syrup
5 fl. oz heavy whipping cream
a few drops of vanilla extract

Place the butter, sugars,and golden syrup in a saucepan and over very low heat, allow everything to dissolve. Let it cook for 5 min. Pour in the cream and vanilla and stir until everything is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely before pouring into a jug ready for serving.

Peach Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
These people at epicurious and Bon Appetit are making me sound like a record. But it doesn't change the fact that each recipe they provide looks stunning.

Crust
25 gingersnap cookies (about 6 ounces), coarsely broken
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
4 small peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, pitted, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze
1/2 cup peach preserves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 large peach, peeled, pitted, very thinly sliced

preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind gingersnaps in processor to coarse crumbs. Add butter and blend until evenly moistened. Press crumbs over bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling:
Combine peaches, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice in heavy large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and peaches are juicy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until peaches are tender and juices thicken, about 5 minutes. Cool compote.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream and vanilla.
Spoon half of cheese mixture (about 3 cups) into crust. Spoon peach compote over by tablespoonfuls, spacing apart. Top with remaining cheese mixture.

Place large piece of foil on oven rack. Place pan with cheesecake on foil. Bake until puffed, set in center, and beginning to brown, about 1 hour. Place hot cheesecake on rack; cool 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen. Place cheesecake, uncovered, on rack in refrigerator and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

For glaze:
Combine preserves and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until glaze comes to simmer. Strain into small bowl. Release pan sides; place cheesecake on platter. Spread glaze over top of cheesecake to within 1/4 inch of edge. Chill cheesecake until glaze sets, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Arrange peach slices in center of cake and serve.

Spoon half of cheese mixture (about 3 cups) into crust. Spoon peach compote over by tablespoonfuls, spacing apart. Top with remaining cheese mixture.

Place large piece of foil on oven rack. Place pan with cheesecake on foil. Bake until puffed, set in center, and beginning to brown, about 1 hour. Place hot cheesecake on rack; cool 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen. Place cheesecake, uncovered, on rack in refrigerator and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

For glaze:
Combine preserves and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until glaze comes to simmer. Strain into small bowl. Release pan sides; place cheesecake on platter. Spread glaze over top of cheesecake to within 1/4 inch of edge. Chill cheesecake until glaze sets, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Arrange peach slices in center of cake and serve.

Amaretto Peach Cheesecake
Cooks.com shows that in it's large database, there are some interesting recipes. I like this because the peaches are puree'd and part of the filling. The taste isn't confined to the seperate pieces of peach inside and garnishing the pie, as in normal recipes.

CRUST:

1 1/2 c. crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 c. chopped almonds
3 tbsp. butter

FILLING:

3 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese (or light cream cheese to reduce calories)
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. flour
3 eggs
16 oz. peaches, drained & pureed
1/4 c. almond-flavored liqueur (or to taste)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Crust: Mix crumbs, almonds and butter; press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese, flour and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add peaches and liqueur; mix well. Pour over crust.

Bake for 1 hour. Cheesecake should just be slightly soft in the center, check with toothpick. Let pan cool, remove rim. Refrigerate. Garnish with almond slices and/or peach slices

Peach Cheesecake Ice Cream
Taste of Home presents a peach cheesecake flavored Ice Cream recipe. Although this IS a cheesecake lens, anything that promotes a good cheesecake idea should deserve mention. Plus, I think this would be good both standalone, and as a topping on a cheesecake. My idea is to make a basic, plain cheesecake, and then eat this ice cream with it.

1 cup milk
1-1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup peach nectar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 medium peaches, peeled and chopped or 1-1/2 cups frozen sliced peaches, chopped

In a small saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in 1-1/4 cups sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount into the egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. In a blender, combine the cream, vanilla and cream cheese; cover and process until smooth. Add to cooled milk mixture. Stir in peach nectar and lemon juice. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Place peaches in a bowl; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Set aside, stirring several times. Drain and discard juice from peaches. Add some of the peaches to each batch of ice cream during the last 5 minutes of freezing. Refrigerate remaining mixture and peaches until ready to freeze. Transfer ice cream to a
freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. May be frozen for up to 2 months.

Jam Based Peach Cheesecake
Feed the World gives a nice looking cheesecake. It's not too difficult, and is part of a worthy cause. Well, I count eating as a worthy cause, at least.

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Filling:
2 eggs
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Amish Family Recipes' Priscilla's Peach Jam, plus 1 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and butter. Mix well and place in the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform cake pan. Make sure to press against the sides and bottom of the pan. Set crust aside.
Prepare the filling by beating the eggs and cream cheese together. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well blended. Add 1/4 cup peach jam and mix until incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and top with remaining 1 cup peach jam. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.