Nope.....s.tick with the good ole New York cheese cake....
It can be dressed up ro down....sauced with fresh berries or chocolate or stewed apples and walnuts. It's good with a cracker crumb crust, or a chocolate crust or a nut crust. You can flavor it with lemon or vanilla. You can melt some bitter sweet chocolate and add it to a little batter and swirl it through, you can add strawberry preserves to the top...
But it's still the good old stuff!
None of this key lime stuff! Stick with the real thing!
Linda C

I KNEW you were gonna say that, Linda! : )
I'll just dress it up a bit... I'm thinking berries now.

Tikanas

This Praline Cheesecake is really good. And so is this marble cream cheese pie. (This pie can actually be "baked" in the microwave)

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

==================
1-1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans toasted
1/4 cup butter melted
3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk NOte: I used coffee cream
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup pecan halves toasted.

Caramel Sauce topping

1 cup corn syrup - dark
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoon Brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Nnte: I use my regular caramel sauce instead of the one mentioned above:

Caramel Sauce

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes.

Serve over Bread and butter pudding, apple pie and icecream, warm gingerbread, etc..
. Combine graham crackers, sugar, pecans and stir in melted butter.
Press mixture over the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9" ich
spring pan.

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, flour and
vanilla. Add egss and beat until just blended. pour into crust. Bake
50 to 55 minutes or until set.

Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Loosen sides and remove rim. Cool
completely. Arrange toasted pecans on top of cake decoratively.

Make Topping by combining corn syrup, cornstarch and brown sugar in a
small saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and
add vanilla.

To serve cake, Pour sauce over top and serve remaining sauce in a
pitcher at the table.

NOTE: I baked the cake in a Baine Marie. I wrapped foil around the
outside of the springform pan to prevent any water from seeping in to
the cake.

(Toronto Star Newspaper: 1981)

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

===========================
1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (Or substitute Graham Cracker Crumbs)
1/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons melted butter

Filling

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
. To prepare crust:

In a 9 inch glass pie plate place butter. Microwave on HIGH until
melted, about 1 minutes. Mix cookie crumbs, walnuts and sugar and stir
into the butter. Press on bottom and sides of pie plate. Microwave on
HIGH for 2 minutes. Rotate 1/2 turn and microwave until crumbs are
set, about 2 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Set aside

To prepare filling:

In a medium microwaveable mixing bowl place cream cheese; microwave on
MEDIUM power until softened, 30 to 50 seconds. Add sugar; beat until
combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time just until incorporated; beat in
vanilla extract; pour into cooled crust; set aside.

In a small microwaveable bowl place chocolate chips; microwave on
MEDIUM until chocolate can be stirred smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.

Drop spoonfuls of chocolate onto cream cheese mixture; using a fork,
swirl chocolate through cheesecake for a marbling effect. Microwave,
uncovered, on MEDIUM for 5 minutes; rotate pie 1/2 turn. Microwave on
MEDIUM until edges are set but centre wiggles slightly when jiggled,
about another 5 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold about 4
hours.

)

Ya know I am older than most hangin' on this forum......and one of the things I have learned over the years is.....when it comes to holiday meals.....don't mess with a good thing!...Mostly!
In the early years of my "foodie-ism" I was all over stuff like wild rice and rosemary stuffing for the T'giving bird.... oysters in cornbread stuffing......and pumpkin pecan pie. Into injecting strange things into the Easter lamb....
And what I learned is.....if you have a good thing goin', don't mess with it!
Now that said.....we would never have the garlic mashed potatoes with a sweet potato added to the mess.....nor certainly cranberry jezabel....nor that pear salad with the raspberry vinaigrette...if we hadn't strayed just a bit from my iron clad rules (!!! me? Iron clad rules????)
But.....really? I like the standards for holidays....celery, onion and sage stuffing, pecan pie ( no chocolate in that please!) and turkey gravy without wine....mashed potatoes without sweet potatoes added.
So this traditionalist's recommendation is.....New York cheese cake.....with toppings!
Now.....does anyone have a recipe for a Christmas cranberry topping?? LOL!
Linda C

We like a smooth, creamy and plain cheese cake, no fruit and no nuts, no caramel and no chocolate to cover up the awesome taste. I make two kinds and both are awesome. I had my family in yesterday and I cooked for 20. The cheese cake was the main attraction. People just go nuts over a good cheese cake.

{{gwi:2053281}} (Amazing)

1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 (8 oz. pkgs.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Coat the inside of a spring form pan with shortening. Combine crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter in and press on sides and bottom of pan; refrigerate. Preheat oven to 500°. Beat together cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar and flour with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time beating on low speed until incorporated, scraping bowl between additions. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Pan will be full.

Place a pan of water on the rack under the cheese cake, baking the cake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes at 500° then reduce heat to 200° and continue to bake without opening oven door for 1 hour. Check cake. It should be brown on top. Continue to bake until slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken, about another 35 or 40 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen (this will prevent the cake from cracking as it cools). Cool cake completely in spring form pan on a rack at room temperature, about 3 hours. Refrigerate cake covered loosely with wax paper for at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving. Will keep for approximately 2 weeks refrigerated.

{{gwi:2053282}}

**For 1/2 recipe bake in a 7" spring form pan for 10 minutes at 500° then about 50 minutes at 200°. Reduce oven temperature by 25°

{{gwi:2053283}}

Crust:
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Part 1:
1 pound Philadelphia cream cheese; softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg; room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Part 2:
2 cups sour cream; room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 375°. Grease inside of a spring-form pan (or an 8-inch square pan) with shortening. Combine crust ingredients, cover sides of pan with 1 cup crumb mixture, press remaining in bottom; bake for 5 minutes, cool, refrigerate while preparing part one. Combine part one ingredients with electric mixer until smooth (beat 2 to 3 minutes). Spread into cooled crust, bake at 375° for 20 minutes (place a pan of hot water on rack under cake during baking to prevent cracking). Remove from oven, place on rack; stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 475°. About 2 minutes before 15 minutes standing time is up, prepare part two of filling. With a spoon mix all of part two ingredients until well blended. Carefully spoon over 1st part, starting from sides to center, spread evenly and gently. Bake at 475° 10 minutes. Let cake stand at room temperature on a rack for 5 to 6 hours before releasing from pan. Loosen crumbs on sides of pan allowing them to drop on edge of cake. Carefully remove sides of pan. Cover with waxed paper and store in coldest part of refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.

{{gwi:2053284}}

Marilyn

Marilyn, I made your Hollywood Two-Tone Cheesecake for a 40th birthday luncheon I had for one of my friends. It was a huge hit, they all loved it. Mine didn't look like yours though, LOL, I didn't just get cracks, I got crevices, but it sure did taste fantastic! I had never made a cheesecake before!

Copying and pasting the Praline recipe to try! Looks awesome, Ann!

Personally not a fan of "flavoured" cheese cakes but I do realize they are hugely popular. There are just somethings that have to be, the way they have to be, ....for us it's cheesecake. Here is my recipe , very much a New York style cheescake. Fabulous recipe if I do say so myself, and it looks spectacular!!! LOL

Cheescake Supreme

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
40 ounces cream cheese (5, 8 oz packages)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 TBSP flour
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1/2 orange
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream
Fruit and glaze (Directions follow)

Mix graham cracker crumbs sugar and melted butter. Butter a 10 inch springform pan. Press crumb mix into the bottom of the pan. Let the remainingg ingredients except cream come to room temp. Beat cheese until fluffy. Mix sugar and flour together and gradually mix into the cheese, beating mixture smooth. Mix in grated rinds. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time beating well after each. Stir in cream. Pour over crust.

Cook in preheated 500 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 and cook for 1 hour ( NOTE: I always seem to have to cook it longer than this to get it to set properly, usually 1 1/2 hours) Remove from oven, place on rack away from drafts and cool. When cool refrigerate in pan until cold. Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Top with fruit and glaze and refrigerate until serving time.~

Fruit and Glaze.... working from the centre out to the edge.

Arrange 4 or 5 canned apricot halves around centre of cake(reserve juice)

Circle the apricots with canned pineapple wedges, (4 rings quartered) reserve juice.

Alternate fresh starwberry halves and green grapes to
form outer circle. Mound about 1/3 cup blueberries in the very centre , inside the ring of apricots.

To make glaze combine the apricot and pineapple syrups to make 3/4 of a cup. Add 1 TBSP of lemon juice. Combine 1 TBSP cornstarch with 2 TBSP cold water. Add to juices and cook stirring until thickened. Add a drop of yellow food colouring if desired. Spoon over fruit.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

30 gingersnaps, broken into large pieces (about 2 heaping cups)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar,
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
5 eggs
15 ounces canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place gingersnaps in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and pulse until coarsely ground. In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute pecans in butter until toasted and golden brown. Add pecans and butter to food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the brown sugar to the food processor and pulse a few times to blend ingredients. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate while preparing the filling. Place the cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar and white sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla to bowl and mix to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Pour into prepared crust and bake 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before serving or icing with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing. White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing 6 ounces good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, softened Beat cream cheese until smooth in a food processor or mixing bowl. Melt chocolate in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove bowl from pot and wipe bottom dry. Stir with a rubber spatula until all chocolate is melted. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly. Beat the melted chocolate into the whipped cream cheese and spread over top and sides of the cheesecake. Praline Pecans 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons cream or half and half 2 cups pecan halves Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cream and bring to a boil. Add pecans, stirring well until well coated in butter mixture. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool. Use to garnish Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake or toss into salads.

You guys!!

I am the' taste test queen" lol! I always want to try a little bit of everything! I will put all of these wonderful recipies to a vote, as I can't posibly make them all

Thank you!

Tikanas ( on to another question...)

I wonder if Sharon and Dana realize that they both use the same recipe.....which is also the same one I use...?
Talk about old classic cheese cake!!!
Linda C

Oh Carol, I'm sorry the cake cracked! I have made that countless times and never had a crack (both recipes). I think the key is to run a thin knife around the top edge between the cake and the pan right after it comes out of the oven and I always place a pan of water on the rack underneath the cake during baking. I will type that into my recipe:)

Linda, you are right, it is pretty much the same recipe. I have no idea where it came from because I've had it for years. It's the best I've ever had.

Marilyn

Yes Linda they are very, very close. I've had mine for a million years too. It is from The Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (1974 edition)

Just have to chime in here too....every time I suggest making a different cheesecake, it is nixed for the plain old plain LOL. Here's my recipe:

{{gwi:1497592}}

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 T sugar
3 T butter, melted

Grease bottom and sides of 9" springform pan. Mix crust ingredients, press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 350 for 10 minutes, cool.

Filling:
4 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, room temp (Neuchafel is OK too)
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
dash salt
1 T vanilla
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temp
1/3 cup heavy cream

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt until no lumps remain, beat with cream cheese and vanilla on low speed until smooth, making sure to scrape down sides often.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended, do not overmix. Stir in cream.
Pour over cooled crust. Release air bubbles from batter by gently dropping pan on counter a few times, let sit for awhile to give the air bubbles a chance to rise to the top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (no need for a water bath since using cornstarch in batter), then turn off oven (cake will not look done) and let cake cool in the oven with the door propped open (lets cool slowly to prevent cracking).
After the oven has cooled a bit, run a knife around the rim to loosen cake from the pan (cake sticking to pan sides while cooling causes cracking). Return to oven to continue cooling. When cake has cooled, cover and place in refrigerator - I place in the front, knowing that the door would be opened often and it would chill more gradually.
Refrigerate at least 8 hours, up to 7 days.

Optional Sour Cream Topping: combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 T sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Spread over cooled cake.

Cindy

Nothing wrong with the plain old, plain old when it looks like your cheesecake Cindy. It's picture perfect.

Ann

Cindy, the cornstarch will help prevent cracking?

Thanks Ann :)

Carol - yep, using cornstarch helps (I started using it because it eliminated the need for a water bath)...here's some info...

from baking911: "If there is some sort of starch in an egg based recipe, such as flour or cornstarch, you need not use a waterbath at all. However, some cheesecake bakers elect to use one all the time, doing no harm and providing gentle heat for a more creamy texture and a lighter color on top."

from various sources: "Take out some insurance by simply adding some cornstarch to the batter when you add the sugar. You see, the starch molecules will actually get in between the egg proteins preventing them from over-coagulating. No over-coagulating, no cracks."

Cindy

I made Cindy's recipe this afternoon. Everyone enjoyed Marilyn's Holywood Two tone cheesecake very much, even with the cracks (which was fine, it was my very first cheesecake!) so this time I thought I'd try Cindy's recipe with the cornstarch. It's got a couple cracks (no big deal, I'll just have to keep practising!) but I tasted the crumbs from the knife and I can't wait to have some tomorrow night!

Thanks for the info, Cindy and MArilyn, I'll keep trying to perfect my cheesecake! Yours are so awesome!

Hi. I found this one on dianesdesserts.com. I havent tried it yet, but it looks good.

Diana's Desserts - Recipe in category Cheesecakes
Toblerone Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 cup plain chocolate biscuits (chocolate wafer cookies), crushed

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

500 grams (two 8 oz. packages) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup thickened cream, or heavy cream

200g (approximately 8 ounces) Toblerone chocolate (milk or dark chocolate), melted

Garnish:
Extra Toblerone chocolate (milk or dark chocolate), grated
Confectioners' sugar
Instructions:

1. Melt the 1/3 cup of butter.

2. Crush chocolate biscuits into crumbs.

3. Mix together the chocolate biscuit crumbs and melted butter.
   Press mixture into bottom of lightly greased 23cm (9-inch)
   springform pan. Place in refrigerator to chill.

4. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or
   until smooth.

5. Place the chocolate in a small saucepan or in the top of a double
   boiler on low heat (water in bottom of double boiler should be at a
   slow simmer) and melt the 200g (approximately 8 ounces) of
   toblerone, stirring constantly.

6. Add the sugar, melted toblerone, and heavy cream to cream cheese
   and continue beating until thoroughly combined and very smooth.

7. Remove cheesecake base from refrigerator and spoon mixture into
   base. Smooth top of cake with a metal spatula. Refrigerate (in pan)
   for at least 4 hours or overnight.

8. Before seving, remove cheesecake from refrigerator and release
   sides of springform pan. Place cheesecake on serving platter and
   garnish with the extra grated Toblerone chocolate and dust top with
   confectioners' sugar (optional).

Tip:
The longer you leave the cheesecake in the refrigerator, the firmer
it will be; 12 hours or overnight is best.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Photograph taken by Diana Baker Woodall© 2002
Source: Rachael

Submitted By: Rachael

Date: May 16, 2002

© 2003 Diana Baker Woodall Site Design by Pacific Web

Thanks Carol, I hope you like it. Sheesh - I sure know about practice....it took me 20 years to finally make a cheesecake that didn't crack :) Everyone's conditions are different so you'll learn what adjustments you need to make, plus it's fun eating all the "practice cakes" LOL

Cindy

Twenty years, OMG, I have a lot of practicing to go, LOL!

I made two cheesecakes yesterday. One in a square pan and in a round springform pan. I read the day before to prevent the cheesecake from cracking, butter the bottom and sides very well. The butter works like mold release used when pouring items in rubber form. The idea behind this method is, as cheesecake begins to shrink, it will move freely from the edge. It worked. No cracks. If using the water bath method one really needs to wrap the bottom and the sides of the springform pan with heavy duty foil. Be sure not to puncture the foil. I like the water method best because the cheesecake bakes more even. You get creamer outside edges. Also starting the cheesecake in a hot oven and reducing the temperature works well. As hard as it is not to peek and open that oven door....Don't. Leave the door shut and allow the little darling to cool in its little nesting spot for a couple hours after turning off the oven. Hope this helps. Yummy, if one could love food I guess I would say I am madly in love with cheesecake.

I make cheesecake every Christmas too. It in the oven this minute! I never use a waterbath, and my cake never cracks.

I use a springform pan (ungreased) and a graham crust. Bake it for 8 minutes, then let cool.

Your cream cheese has to be very room temperature so that it creams better (I leave it out for about 3 hours). You cream it with the sugar, then add your vanilla and lemon juice (if using).

Add your eggs, one at a time, but DO NOT OVERMIX. Mix just until eggs are incorporated. If you mix it too much, your cake will rise and fall thus creating cracks. It is very important to cream the mixture BEFORE you add the eggs.

I've always done it this way and never have cracks. (I got this info from a pastry chef.)

I make a plain cheesecake and then top each individual piece with homemade strawberry preserves.

Khandi - just checking - bake for 8 minutes?

Hi Tikanas! Nice to see you!

The crust is baked for 8 minutes first before you add the cake mixture.

Ah, gotcha Khandi. Thanks for the clarification, I read it as the whole cake was baked eight minutes!

(Shaun darlin'.....check Tikanas's date she posted...the year...)