Cheesecake

Hey y'all! Sarah here. Despite it's short length, that's a pretty loaded title, because today, I'm going to tell you about one of the most influential inventions the ancient Greeks* bestowed upon us. (Think: up there with democracy, advances in math, medicine, astronomy, physics...)

Cheesecake. 

Just typing the word, I can taste it.

Yes, I know that's weird.

But when you make cheesecake so much that you practically hyperventilate when you get an amazing, beautiful, fancy schmancy, springform pan for your birthday? You know exactly which Fine Cooking magazine and page the recipe is on? (Issue 104, p. 62) You refer to cheesecake as, "My baby"? And your family knows not to mess with your baby or you'll go all mother bear protecting her cub on them? Then it becomes a little less weird.

Actually, that probably makes it weirder, but at least the tasting while typing thing makes more sense.

Anyway, when Fine Cooking ran said, "Create Your Own Cheesecake," article two years ago, we decided to give it a try. You could customize the crust, filling, topping, and flavor options to amend a simple, base cheesecake recipe. Sounds harmless, right? Just a little cheesecake recipe. No big deal.

Um... FALSE.

We had just unleashed a beast. He's huge. And never rests. And always wants cheesecake. (Thanks Abagail Johnson Dodge!!) Case in point: We had to actually make a rule that cheesecakes would be reserved for special occasions after we made three in a row last summer. Yes. Three.

No shame. 

The article, (which has since won a Silver EDDIE for Best Consumer Epicurean, Single Article) has given us six amazing variations that we've devoured over the past two years, with plenty more still to try. Because of it, cheesecake has become the top recipe in my baking repertoire; and this White Chocolate Raspberry version has earned the coveted spot of, "Stand by," right up there with "Uncle Joe's Cookies" and Beth's Cinnamon Rolls. It is that good. (It has also made us realize that no recipe is complete without chocolate ganache. #dessertproblems)

Please do yourself a favor and make this soon! Or today... Today would be spectacular.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Start to feel butterflies of anticipation. (Can you tell I like making cheesecake? Second only to eating said cheesecake... *drool*)

The Ingredients

For the crust, you will need: 

Sugar, Graham Crackers, and Butter

For the filling, you will need:

Cream Cheese, Eggs, Vanilla Extract, White Chocolate, Sugar, Salt, and Flour (not pictured... because I'm staring at this photo and realizing I forgot to put it in the picture... I apologize!)

For the glazed raspberry topping, you will need:

Raspberries, Seedless Raspberry Jam (or you can be a rebel like me and use Strawberry), 

and Water.

And finally, for the chocolate ganache topping, you will need:

Chocolate Chips and Butter.

Now for the good part... LET'S MAKE THIS PUPPY!! 

Woof.

Part 1: The Crust

To make the crust, start by weighing out 8 oz. of graham crackers. (This should yield about two cups of crumbs.)

Next, put the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.

Another way to do this (as shown) is to place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush them with a heavy bottom pan or rolling pin. You won't get tiny, uniform crumbs, but it does the job quite well, lets you get your frustrations out, and BONUS: No extra dishes to wash!! (That last point is pretty much the entire reason I do this method. I know. I'm such an over achiever.)

Crumbly and delicious.

Next, take 7 Tbs. of butter...

...dice it up, and melt it.

Add 3 Tbs. of sugar to the graham cracker crumbs...

And mix in the butter. The color should be a bit deeper and all the crumbs slightly moistened.

Next, take out your springform pan! It should be 9 or 10 inches in diameter with a clasp that closes tightly. The top portion should fit snugly in the groove of the bottom portion. (Make sure the top portion isn't upside down when you assemble it! It will leak the cheesecake amazingness all over your oven. And you want to be able to eat the amazingness.) 

 

(This pan is my soul mate.)

Pour the crumbs into the pan and press them down so they lie evenly on the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides. You can use a cup to press them down, but I just use my hands.

Tip: Try and make the sides as thick as the bottom! And make sure the edge where the bottom and the sides meet isn't too thick or it will be hard to cut. Just press your fingers into where they meet to alleviate the problem.

Bake on 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

 

Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool completely.

Part 2: The Filling 

Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. (Hi reflection! Your hands are really awkward in this picture. I have no idea how you are holding the camera like that. Love, Self.)

Melt 8 oz. of white chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.

Put the cream cheese, melted white chocolate, salt, and flour into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. (I've also made this at the beach with a handheld mixer and it worked just fine! Yes, Cheesecake + Bikini seems counter intuitive, but it worked. At least that's what I told myself.)
 

Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until there are no lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.

Add the sugar...

And whip again until very smooth and slightly lightened in color.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract...

And whip again until incorporated. (Don't whip too long after you add the eggs! Your cheesecake will puff too much and sink as it cools. Whipping for about a minute tops after the eggs have been put in is usually plenty of time!)

Pour the batter into the cooled crust.

Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula and bake in the 300 degree oven for 55- 65 minutes. The middle will still jiggle slightly when nudged. (We like a slightly firmer texture in our house, so I normally bake it for the full 65 minutes and then until the middle no longer feels or looks loose when you shake the pan slightly. Now that we have our amazing new ovens, I normally only need the regular 65 minutes.)

Ta- da!!! Leave the cheesecake to cool completely in the pan. Then refrigerate, un-molded, for 8 hours. (This is the hardest part. Try to be strong... even though you just want to go in with a spoon and shovel every last bit into your face. Gain strength from thinking about how good the toppings will be. And do yourself a favor walk away from the fridge as soon as possible. 8 hours goes a lot faster when that deliciousness isn't staring at you... Or at least that's what I tell myself. I have to tell myself a lot when it comes to cheesecake.)

Part 3: The Toppings

Chocolate Ganache

First, weigh out 3 oz. of chocolate chips.(Weighing keeps you accountable so you can't sneak any. Unless there's extra. You have to make it an equal 3 oz., right? And putting little chips back in the bag is hard! So 3.2 oz? Don't mind if I do.)

Then, take 5 Tbs. of butter...

...dice it up, and microwave it with the chocolate chips until there are just little lumps of butter left.

Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir until smooth and glossy.

Try not to lick the spoon. Or the bowl. Or the counter. 

Because licking a counter would just be awkward.

Next is the fun part, because you get to do more with your amazing cheesecake pan!!!! :D Oh... and you're getting closer to eating the cheesecake. That's important too. Sorry; I got distracted staring at my soulmate's beautiful, non- stick finish.

Unclasp the side portion of the springform pan and gently lift it off. (Run a butter knife around the edge if you feel the need to.)

Take a minute to admire another piece of kitchen beauteous- ness, our lovely, new cake plate! It has gorgeous, little medallions (the starfish being one) that can be switched out depending on the season/ event. Our old one had little penguin figurines hanging off the side. (There is absolutely nothing wrong with adorable penguins, but they looked pretty odd in the middle of summer. We kind of OD'd on Christmas in July.) 

Wiggle the cheesecake off the base, running a butter knife between the crust and the pan while pushing gently on the side of the cheesecake with your hand.

Pour the fresh ganache over the top of the cheesecake, scraping the bowl with a spatula to make sure every drop fulfills its purpose in life. (The spoon you used to stir the ganache is fair game though.)

Using the back of a large spoon, gently spread the ganache all the way to the edges of the cheesecake, letting some spill over the sides to create drips. (Boom. You have the secret to a professional- looking cheesecake. You're welcome.)

 

Refrigerate the cake again while you make the glazed raspberries to allow the chocolate to harden somewhat. 

Glazed Raspberries

Now for the raspberry part of the, "White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake." (I know the chocolate ganache doesn't fit in to that description exactly, but since I'm being a rebel and using strawberry jam, I might as well pour extra chocolate on top. Just sayin'.)

Take a 1/4 cup of Seedless Raspberry/ Strawberry Jam and put it in a small sauce pan.

Add 2 Tbs. of water to the saucepan...

...and turn the burner to medium high heat.

Stir constantly until the jam and water have melted together.

(Halfway, switch to a fancy, shmancy wooden spoon because your older sister makes fun of you for using a tiny, metal one.)

The glaze should become smooth and shiny with the consistency of heated maple syrup.

Pour in 2 pints of raspberries and toss until they are all coated in the glaze. (With the fancy, shmancy wooden spoon.)

Pour the raspberries over the top of the hardened ganache...

...then stand back and admire.

For about .2561 seconds before going at it with a knife. 

(Or before your family goes at you with a knife while sitting at the table demanding to be served. Seriously. All four of them. My skills so appreciated around here! They don't want to stand around looking at my masterpiece. Noooooo. All they want to do is eat it!)

 Well... so do I. ;)

There you have it my friends! The ultimate cheesecake. (Or just one variation of it.)

Here's the link to the article online. It let's you build your own and then print it off as one recipe! Aka, the best invention ever.

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cyor/cheesecake.aspx

Have fun y'all! :)

*The ancient Greeks (namely from the Greek island of Samos) are credited with creating cheesecake, called, "placenta." First mentioned by the Greek physician Aegimus, it, and another cheese based cake, the "libum," were both used for religious purposes. However, the placenta is most similar to the modern cheesecake, as it has a crust. Cheesecakes were also served to the athletes during the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.E.

Daddy's Birthday

Daddy's birthday was about a month ago.  This shows you how organized I am, I'm just now posting the pictures.
It was a fun birthday :)

So the cake was decorated like a Canadian flag since he and mommy had just gotten back from their anniversary Canada trip.

Wow, he's OLD!

Oh more tree books.  Seriously this dude has more tree books than I know what to do with!
Now that I think of it, isn't it semi ironic that a book about trees was made out of . . . trees!?

Ok, this is what he said verbatum:

"Oooh Rosetta Stone, nice."

"Look, it's a magnet!  Opened . . . "

"Closed!"
Dad, you are a dork.

This is Sarah's reaction to Daddy's magnet show and tell.
Yeah I don't understand him either, but guess what!?  We have half of his DNA! I bet you we'll be doing the exact same thing when we're 49!

Gardening hose nozzles.  Guys really have exciting birthdays don't they?!

 HAHAHA best moment of the night!  Sometimes when a present is too big to wrap we leave it upstairs and just present the birthday person with the unwrapped gift.  Well mom had told dad that he had another present and went to go get it.  While she was coming back down, dad had started organizing all the wrapping paper mess so he didn't notice her come back downstairs.  He looked just a wee bit surprised when he turned around and there his wife is holding a pic ax in her hands right at his eye level!

We've had this bag for forever it seems.  We ALWAYS give it to dad on his birthday.  Funny thing is it applied to his 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd . . . etc you get the point.  It's the bag that keeps on giving.

Aaaaaaand these are my sisters.
See what I have to put up with?!  We're special :)

Now,
I've saved the best for last.
We have a tradition.

(Rebecca started it.)

But every birthday, for the past four years, we've sung dad a special birthday song.
(It sounds innocent.  It's not.)

The song that started it all was the Cupid Shuffle.  We turned it into the "Old Man Shuffle."  We had dance moves and used phrases like "Do the old man shuffle, you can't see straight anymore," and "use your cane, use your cane."
Last year we sang Jordan Sparks' song "No Air" and changed it to "No Hair."
Yeeeeeah we're nice :)
But keep in mind, we're singing these songs to a man who gets a kick out of a birthday card that said "Happy Birthday!  In dog years you'd be . . . dead."  So he's sarcastic and I like to think on some level he appreciates and is proud that his daughters are cultivating his sense of humor :)

So, um, this year we were planning a big song (not as big next year's milestone birthday).  Sarah had come up with the idea last year, and we could only do this song this year (unless we waited till his 59th birthday).  Ok, I know you're waiting with baited breath!  What song could we redo that would perfectly embody the importance of this, daddy's 49th birthday?!?!?

Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" we turned into "Edge of 50"!!!

Gingerbread Cookies

**Warning**
**This is a public service announcement**
**These cookies are ADDICTIVE!!!**

No seriously, they are.
They disappear immediately from our house.  I think the problem is that you know they are cookies, but they don't scream "cookies" at you.  There is no chocolate, there are no M&Ms, no nuts, no frosting, they're practically healthy for you!  Lol, well I wish they were.  But I'm just trying to warn you, you will eat these for breakfast, and lunch, and snack and dinner and midnight snack and and and just be careful!

Ok.

Here's the recipe.

Don't say you weren't forewarned.

Here are the ingredients: Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, allspice, cloves, pepper, vegetable shortening, butter, brown sugar, molasses, and an egg.

Start with the dry ingredients:
 

Put them all in a bowl, and mix with a whisk (this is so you don't have to sift them, because I think sifting is a waste of time, and I don't exactly own a sifter.  Honestly if anyone tells you that sifting makes your baked goods fluffier when you're just going to mix them in a mixer anyway, question their motives.  They're just trying to make you waste time!) 

 

Next, add the butter and the shortening to the mixer and beat them until they are fully mixed together and creamy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Then measure out half a cup of brown sugar (be sure to measure it in a one cup measuring device because you are too lazy/your hands are messy and you don't want to walk across the kitchen and get the half cup measuring device.  Hey, you're saving dishes.  You're welcome dad!).  Add the sugar to the creamed butter and shortening and mix it together.

Now add the egg and molasses to the sugar/butter/shortening mixture and mix together.  Now let's be clear, the recipe doesn't call for vanilla, but that doesn't mean you can't add it, right?!  I mean EVERY baked good that I make includes vanilla, since vanilla is the elixir of life.  But you don't have to add vanilla if you don't want to.  But if you were going to, now would be the time to add it.

Here's what it looks like when it's all mixed.

Now, by hand, mix in the flour.  Don't worry about getting it all incorporated with a spoon because that's hard.  It's just as easy to mix it mostly together, then dump it out onto the counter and knead it all together.

Then, divide the dough into two balls and put the balls into two bags.

Now here's my trick.  The dough needs to go into the fridge/freezer if you're impatient like me and chill.  Well it's hard to chill a ball all the way through since it's four inches thick.  If you instead flatten the dough in the bag it's going to be only half an inch thick and will chill faster.  Again I'm impatient and want to make the cookies pretty much as soon as I make the dough!

When the dough is done chilling (about an hour or so or up to a few days if you really plan ahead.  Which I do not) take it out of the freezer so you can roll it out.  Here is the other part of my trick.  Have you ever tried to roll out a chilled ball of dough?  Doesn't work too well does it.  It splits apart and you get these big cracks where you have to press the dough back together.  The beauty of flattening the dough when it was warm and then chilling it, is that the rolling out portion is almost done!  All you have to do is cut the bag off the dough.

Then roll it out flat, and then cut pretty shapes in it.  Notice I'm using flowers and bunnies and ducks because these gingerbread cookies are not just for Christmas time!

Then bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

They'll come out of the oven and smell heavenly.

Now you can leave them plain, but I like to mix some powdered sugar and water and make a frosting/glaze to put on top.  It keeps the cookies moist and not stale for a lot longer.  Not that they will last that long . . . but dang it people, everything tastes better with frosting!

Here are the ingredients (recipe courtesy of Food Network.com)

 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (trust me you can't even taste it)
8 tbs butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg