ORANGE HONEY CHEESECAKE

ORANGE HONEY CHEESECAKE

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp.
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

• Preheat oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch spring-form pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick spring-form pan).
• Mix cracker crumbs, walnuts, 2 Tbsp. sugar, the butter and cinnamon; press firmly onto bottom of pan.
• Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, the honey, flour and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.
• Stir in orange peel; pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes or until center is almost set.
• Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
  

After adding the eggs, be careful not to over-beat the batter since this can cause the baked cheesecake to crack.

POACHED LEMON CHEESECAKE

POACHED LEMON CHEESECAKE

Finely ground graham cracker crumbs
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
13/4 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
Juice and grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch salt

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  
• Butter an 8- to 10-cup stainless steel or Pyrex (ovenproof) mixing bowl and dust with finely ground graham cracker crumbs.
• Set aside.
  
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar.
• Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.
• Add the lemon juice and zest, cream, vanilla and salt; beat until very smooth.
  
• Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared bowl.
• Sprinkle the top of the cream cheese mixture with more graham cracker crumbs.
• Place the bowl in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan deep enough that it will come several inches up the side of the cheesecake bowl.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
  
• Turn off the oven and let set, without opening the oven door, for another hour. (Set timer so you won't forget it.)
• Chill poached cheesecake at least 4 hours or overnight.
  
• To unmold, dip the bowl briefly into very hot water and place a serving plate over the top of the bowl.
• Remove bowl from the hot water and, holding the plate firmly on top of the bowl, invert and shake gently until the cheesecake unmolds onto the serving plate.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

1 chocolate piecrust
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream

1. Beat cream cheese until fluffy; add condensed milk, egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth.
2. Arrange raspberries along the bottom of the crust.
3. Pour cheese mixture over raspberries and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.
4. To make the chocolate glaze, place semi-sweet chocolate and whipping cream in a saucepan and cook over low-heat until thickened.
5. Allow cake to cool completely before adding chocolate glaze.
6. Once cake is cool, spread glaze over cake and chill before serving.

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKE

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-RUM-ROASTED PINEAPPLE
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted1
tablespoon sugar

Filling
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 large eggs
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Topping
1 extra-sweet pineapple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, cored
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all crust ingredients in bowl.
• Press mixture over bottom of 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 23/4-inch sides.
• Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer to rack; cool.
• Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of foil.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
  
• For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in sugar.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and blend 1 minute.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Mix in crème fraîche.
• Transfer filling to crust.
• Place cheesecake in roasting pan.
• Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of spring-form pan.
  
• Bake cake until top is dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 1 hour.
• Turn off oven.
• Let cake cool in closed oven 1 hour.
• Remove from water bath.
• Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
  
• For topping: Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place pineapple rings on large rimmed baking sheet.
• Boil remaining ingredients in small saucepan 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour syrup over pineapple.
• Roast pineapple 12 minutes.
• Turn rings over; roast until tender and syrup thickens, turning rings every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes longer.
• Cool pineapple on sheet.
• Cut into 1/3-inch cubes; transfer pineapple and syrup to bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)
  
• Drain pineapple, reserving syrup.
• Cover top of cheesecake with some pineapple; stir remainder back into syrup.
• Serve cake with remaining pineapple syrup.
• Makes 12 servings.

CREAMY BANANA CHEESECAKE

CREAMY BANANA CHEESECAKE

1 graham cracker pie crust
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups whipped topping
2 cups bananas, sliced
1 3/4 cup milk
1 - 3 oz. package instant banana pudding mix

• Combine cream cheese, vanilla and sugar and mix well.
• Stir in 1 cup whipped topping.
• Place 1 cup sliced bananas at the bottom of the piecrust.
• Spread cream cheese mixture over the bananas.
• Place remainder of bananas on top of the cream cheese mixture.
• Combine milk and pudding mix and stir until smooth.
• Add 1 cup whipped topping and mix well.
• Place this mixture over the bananas and chill for several hours before serving.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN CHEESECAKES

BLACK-EYED SUSAN CHEESECAKES

24 vanilla wafers
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3 tablespoons butter
Sliced almonds

• Heat oven to 350F.
• Line muffin cups with foil bake cups (2 inches in diameter).
• Place one vanilla wafer, flat-side down, in bottom of each cup.
  
• Beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed of mixer in large bowl.
• Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
• Stir in peanut butter chips.
• Spoon heaping tablespoon cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup.
  
• Bake 15 minutes or just until set, but not browned. Cool.
  
• Place chocolate chips and butter in small microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 seconds; stir.
• If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.
  
• Drop teaspoons of chocolate mixture onto center of each cheesecake, letting white show around edge.
• Place almond slices around chocolate mixture to resemble petals.
• Cover; refrigerate.
• Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecakes.
• About 2 dozen cheesecakes.

Apple Sauce Cheesecake

Apple Sauce Cheesecake

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs separated
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Sauce:
2 cups baking apples chopped fine
1 cup sugar (approx)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

• Preheat oven to 350 deg. Grease 9" spring-form pan.
• Melt butter, add sugar and Graham crumbs until mixed.
• Press into pan and bake 10-12 minutes.
  
• Reduce oven to 325.
• Beat cream cheese, beat in egg yolks, sugar, salt and flour.
• Add vanilla, cream and lemon juice; beat well until lump free.
• In bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Add 1/4 c sugar; beat until stiff.
• Fold egg whites into cream cheese mix.
• Pour into baked crust and bake for further 40-60 minutes.
• Cool.
  
• In saucepan boil apples for 5-7 minutes.
• Add sugar, simmer for 3-5 minutes more.
• Mix cornstarch with water and mix in with apple mixture, cook until thick.
• Pour over cheesecake.
• Variations: could be any type of berries.