How to Make Ricotta Cheese

Sometimes a cheesecake recipe will call for Ricotta which is a bit more buttery than Cottage Cheese IMO. it also makes an excellent addition to cheese blintzs.


Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
3 quarts milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces plain unsweetened yogurt

1. Place milk and lemon juice in a bowl, cover and allow to sit for 36 hours - in the lower part of the refrigerator.
2. After the setting time mix in yogurt and bring mixture to a rolling boil until it clearly cuts.
3. If the mixture doesn't cut after reaching a boil add a little more lemon juice and boil again.
4. Drain off the whey using a large strainer lined with cheese cloth, gauze or similar material.
5. Pull up the corners of the cloth, tie and let the ball of cheese hang for one hour.
6. Refrigerate.
7. Makes over a pound of good sweet ricotta-type cheese
8. Keeps refrigerated for about 2 days.
   

How To Make Sour Cream

The next installment of our how to series is how to make Sour Cream. It looks really easy, do not put your jar on the heat register or else you'll end up with ricotta cheese.


Sour Cream:

Ingredients:
2 cups light cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine cream with buttermilk in hot, clean glass canning jar that has been heating in boiling water.
2. Cover tightly and shake gently to thoroughly mix.
3. Let stand in a warm place - like where you put bread to rise) till thickened (24-48 hours).
4. Store, covered in refrigerator.
5. Stir before serving.
6. Use within three weeks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

This looks really yummy, but I wouldn't call it a cheesecake. There is no cheese in it.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust
1-1/2 cups ground shortbread cookies
1/4 cup unsalted melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch cinnamon

Cheesecake
1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough or homemade *
3 14 ounce can condensed milk
tiniest pinch salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Use any chocolate chip cookie dough that requires 1/2 cup butter in it.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In the bottom of a 9 inch cheesecake or springform pan, toss the crust ingredients together and press into pan bottom. Set aside.
4. Cut up the cookie dough in chunks (about 1 inch or less) and set aside.
5. Dump everything but the chocolate chips in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Turn out half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter on most of the cookie dough chunks.
7. Top with the remaining batter, more chunks, and the chocolate chips.
8. Place the pan on the baking sheet.
9. Place in the oven and bake until just set, reducing temperature to 325 F around mid point, and bake a total of 35-45 minutes.
10. Cool in the oven with door open and oven turned off.
11. Then refrigerate several hours or overnight.
    

Recipe by: Marcy Goldman - Marcy's Kosher Cuisine
Yield: Serves 10

Fruity Yogurt Cheesecake

Fruity Yogurt Cheesecake

Ingredients :
2 containers (32 oz. each) low-fat
vanilla yogurt
1 c. confectioners' sugar

CRUST:
3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 tbsp. granulated sugar

TOPPING:
2 ripe peaches, sliced thin
3 tbsp. apricot preserves
1/2 pt. fresh raspberries

Directions :

1. Strain yogurt into cheese.
2. Mix crust ingredients in a bowl.
3. Press evenly over bottom of an ungreased 8 or 9 inch springform pan.
4. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
5. Mix yogurt cheese and confectioners' sugar in a bowl.
6. Spoon into chilled crust.
7. Smooth surface with a rubber spatula.
8. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.
9. Run a knife between cheesecake and pan sides to loosen.
10. Remove pan sides.
11. Arrange peach slices on top in a circle around the edge.
12. Melt preserves and brush over peaches.
13. Mound raspberries in the center.
14. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
    

Makes 8 servings.

Cherry Yogurt Cheesecake

Cherry Yogurt Cheesecake

Ingredients :
2 c. plain yogurt - drained into cheese
1 c. chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. orange juice
1 env. (1 tbsp.) plain gelatin
2 c. frozen dessert topping, thawed
1 tsp. grated orange peel
2 c. fresh sweet cherries, pitted

Directions :

1. Drain yogurt in strainer lined with coffee filter 6 hours or
   overnight.
2. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press into 9 inch
   springform pan.
3. Set aside.
4. Discard whey from yogurt cheese.
5. Stir in sugar.
6. Combine orange juice and gelatin; heat until
   gelatin is melted.
7. Stir into yogurt mixture.
8. Fold in dessert topping and orange peel.
9. Arrange cherries over bottom of crust.
   Pour yogurt mixture over cherries.
10. Refrigerate until set.

Makes 8 servings.

California Cheesecake

California Cheesecake

CRUST:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:
1 pound cottage cheese, large or small curd
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPING:
1 pint sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. For crust, mix all ingredients and press evenly over bottom and sides
   of 9-inch cake pan.
2. For filling, beat cottage cheese thoroughly, gradually
   adding sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
4. Beat in vanilla.
5. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes, or until set.
6. Make topping while cake is baking.
7. Whip the sour cream enough to make fluffy.
8. Stir in sugar and vanilla and spread over top of baked cheesecake.
9. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and return cake to oven for 5 minutes.
   

Italian Cheesecake

Italian Cheesecake
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
12 graham crackers (2 1/2" squares)
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup nonfat cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300o F.
2. Spray an 8" springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a gallon-size sealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers to fine crumbs.
4. Sprinkle the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and pat down evenly.
5. In a food processor, combine the ricotta and cream cheeses; sift the sugar and cornstarch onto cheese mixture and add the zest.
6. Process about 20 seconds more, until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, rum and vanilla.
7. With the food processor running, add the egg mixture.
8. Process about 10 seconds, until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake 1 1/2-2 hours, until golden and puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool on a wire rack in the pan 1 hour.
12. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to release the cheesecake.
13. Remove the ring; cool 1 hour more.
14. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight.
15. Cut into 8 equal slices and serve.