Cheesecake differences.

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Chief Longwind Of The North

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Guess I've been enough of a pest today, so I'll contribute something worthwhile.

Someone once said that if cooking is like a grand intuitive process, then baking is like a chemical recipe, to be followed by the letter.

This is somewhat true. But just as we've seen from mine and Audeo's experience with shortbread, this is not always the case. It is true that to duplicate something time and time again, a recipe must be followed.

I made a cheesecake for New year's Eve. But I couldn't find my cheesecake cookbook. I worked from memory as best I could. I used the right amount of cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch, vanilla, and sugar. However, I messed up on the number of eggs. I always make the recipe 1/2 size larger than that in the book, so as to fill the 10" round springform pan to an acceptable level. Teh modified recipe calls for three eggs. I added six. The taste was very close to the original, but the texure was more custard-like, and lighter. My daughter discribed it as not as rich and actually enjoyed it better than the original. My wife and I like the original better.

What comes out of this is that there is no recipe set in stone. All can be changed. And for some, the change is preferable. For others, the familiar or standard is desired above all else.

I have found my cheesecake cookbook again and will return to the original recipe. I like it better. However, if I'm making it for my youngest daughter, I will add the extra egg.

Both are perfectly acceptable recipes. It just depends on who's eating them. :D

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
You're never a pest.

Thanks for posting those differences. I am always interested in new stuff about cheesecake.

I will admit though that my best recipe is painfully simple. I do the Eagle Brand recipe and it has the perfect texture (IMO) and flavour.
 
I was taught in college the "cooking is an art, baking is a science", and by baking they meant bread, not pastries. We didn't call a recipe for bread a recipe, but a "formulation". It came in weights of ingredients, as well as percentages, where flour is always 100%, and everything is a ratio of the weight of the other ingredient to the weight of the flour. Really mathematical stuff that I didn't have to get into.

Lately, I've been altering a lot of my recipes, to better suit my tastes, my family's tastes, as well as change the recipe enough to call it "my own", so I can copyright a cookbook, if I ever finish it.
 
Goodweed:

Your experience proves that the recipe IS important. The addition of the extra eggs changed the end product enough that the three of you could detect and express preferences for the two different versions - the denser, richer cheesecake vs. the lighter, more custard-like version.

Maybe you should add the new recipe to your cookbook and name it for your daughter!
 
Great idea, Andy. I will add the altered recipe to the proper cookbook in progress, with her name added to it. After all, there is a recipe named after Lucky Lindy, so I can name one after my daughter. Thanks.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
A recipe named after Lucky Lindy?! Would you PUH-LEASE post it? It would go wonderfully with the "Lucky Lindy" song I have. I can see a Lucky Lindy party taking shape . . . btw, does anybody know 1) if the Lindy Hop is named after Lucky Lindy, and/or 2) how to dance it? (Singing to Self) Party, party, party, we're gonna have a party . . .
 
I posted this recipe earlier today. Has the post been deleted or did I just do it wrong? If it was deleted, I can repost it as a list of ingredients with my own directions, so as not to infringe on any copyrights. But I didn't think that I'd done anything wrong as I gave credit to the original author and named the book. Let me know please. But I'll share the "Lindy's Cheescake" recipe , and legaly. :D

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 

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