Back To The Drawing Board

[rdcast]

Today, we're baking a conventional cheesecake with a caramel swirl

10 inch springform pan with base turned upsidedown, wrapped with foil(just the base). Using oil spray containing flour, prepare with a dusting of the sides with graham crumbs and a bottom crust (graham crumb, butter, brown sugar)

Filling Ingredients:

• 5 - 8 oz bars cream cheese(mix in the following with electric mixer on low)
• 1/3 cup flour + 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Splash of vanilla(around a Tbsp)
  
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs + 3 yolks(beat with electric mixer to pulverize the eggs and scoop out the bubbles)
• Briefly mix the above batter with electric mixer on high(like 30 sec)
  
• Fold in 3 oz Werther's soft caramels, melted(introduce per Jen's instructions below in post #3)
  

With water pan on bottom of oven, bake first 15 mins @ 400, 1 hour 15 mins @ 275, turn off oven and keep door closed for 30 mins. Let cool in oven, cracked open, until removal with bare-hands is possible. Chill in refrigerator.
Serves 16


​

 

[thumpershere2]

Sounds rich and yummy. Have never made a cheese cake, maybe will one day soon.

 

[Chef_Jen]

Next time mix the caramel with a bit of cheesecake filling to get a good swirl and prevent seperation and butter leakage

 

[rdcast]

I'll do it this time Jen. So, do I simply melt the caramels and whisk them in or would that cause them to harden ? How do I keep the caramel soft in the batter. And if it's hot, wont the eggs cook ?

 

[rdcast]

Sounds rich and yummy. Have never made a cheese cake, maybe will one day soon.

For your first cheesecake, I recommend this recipe without the caramel but add 1/4 cup lemon juice.

 

[rdcast]

Report

Overall, I view the final results as more disappointing than not because of the importance I place on texture. There's more direct and less expensive ways to make pudding. Shrinkage is another important issue from the standpoint of presentation and for the fact that the more it collapses the denser the texture.
The flavor was an enormous success. The best I've had for a cheesecake and the crust was light, crispy and satisfying.

pros:

1. extremely delicious, hard to stop eating it(going for another piece)
2. excellent crust for its simplicity, clean, crispy, tasty, marketable
3. beautiful marbling, I can't thank you enough Jen

cons:

1. pudding like texture, unacceptable, lacks New York Style breadier texture
2. average shrinkage, stubbornly refusing to yield to my efforts to minimize this effect

I'm hoping to solve these two problem spots and as always, would much appreciate all constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. Ramblings are welcome too.

 

[jpmcgrew]

My cheese cake has plain yoqurt or sour cream also with the cream cheese and lemon juice.Have you ever done it this way?

 

[rdcast]

I've used sour cream lots with success, I might revisit that ingredient. What does yogurt add ?? I've heard of it but never tried it.

 

[jpmcgrew]

The yogurt is just a substitute for sour cream I think it also lends a bit more tartness than sour cream but I would not use low fat or fat free yogurt.After all it's cheese cake.

 

[rdcast]

In yogurt jpmcgrew, I've always preferred the type with the undisturbed texture apposed to the type that is whipped, making it like pudding, lol. That's what I say about cheesecakes.