"Jason Quick" > wrote:

>"DigitalVinyl" > wrote :
>> http://www.equal.com/Recipes/Detail....ork+Cheesecake
>>
>> Above is a recipe that uses no real sugar. If you look at the picture
>> at the top you see that the cheesecake looks like wet stucco. This is
>> te texture I'm seeing with Splenda Baking blend (half real sugar).
>> Granted mine don't look anywhere near as bad as that picture, but when
>> you cut the cheeseake the knife has it stuck all over. It is just much
>> softer than I expect cheesecake to be.
>
>Well, they can certainly get that way...what I do is NOT use a water bath.
>I think they're too much damned trouble, and as you found, more likely than
>not to leak in and make the bottom of your cake a soggy mess. Here's what
>I do:
>
>1. Blind-bake the crust. Let it cool, then fill just before baking. Make
>sure your batter didn't just come out of the fridge.
>
>2. After you remove the crust from the oven, place a pan of water (I use a
>big aluminum-foil roaster supported by a jelly-roll pan) on the low rack) in
>the oven. If you can't lug the half-full pan of water across the kitchen (a
>tough job), try putting it in the oven first, then filling with a watering
>can (preferably a new one; you don't want Miracle-Geo fumes in yer oven).
>
>3. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes (for a 9" pan; 12 minutes for smaller pans,
>20 for larger), then lower the temp to 290 until it's done. You'll know
>it's done when the top is no longer shiny, and poking the side of the pan
>gets you a jiggle like a block of Jello, rather than a slosh like one might
>get from a custard. Total baking time seems to run about 1 to 1.5 hours,
>depending on the size of the pan and how full it is.
>
>4. When the cake is "done," turn the oven off, open the door a crack and let
>it sit in there for an hour or two, or even overnight (if it's evening
>already). Really firms it up, and sharply reduces cracking. If you're
>afraid to let it go until it's done for fear of burning or overly drying the
>cake, turn the oven off just short of that point I mentioned before, but
>DON'T open it. It'll still cool off fast enough, and the reduced heat
>usually cooks the center adequately.
>
>5. I find long-bladed boning knives warmed in hot (boiling really) water
>best for slicing cheesecakes - they have a smaller flat area and a longer,
>thinner blade. And just shake the excess water from the blade- leave some
>on and you'll get a smoother side to the slices.
>
>6. Lastly, make it two or three days ahead if you can - the flavor seems to
>mature over that time, and some of the excess moisture will evaporate in the
>fridge. They get covered with plastic wrap after a couple days, so as to
>not dry out. I, for example, made my Christmas Eve cheesecake on Monday,
>and one for Christmas Day just this (Wed) evening.
>
>> Anyone find a good recipe for tightening the texture up? I'm thinking
>> additional eggs,
>
>I find using a mixture of whole eggs and yolks to be helpful - a 3:2
>yolk:egg ratio seems to work best..

I am using near the same ratio. 7:5 for a 10 inch. And my last two
batches are showing better texture and better height & volume
(especially now that I'm whipping the egg whites corrrectly!). My 8
inch recipe now makes a filled-to the top 8-inch plus 5-6 mini
cupcakes--I've got to adjust those recipes.

>I haven't used cornstarch, flour or
>anything similar in my cheesecakes since I got the egg idea from an episode
>of "Good Eats."

I've been reducing fat/calories by making them with
1/3 fat free cream cheese
1/3 neufchatel cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
1/3 regualr cream cheese
and the fat-free stuff is mushy as all hell. I spotted tips that say
to add a tbsp of cornstarch to compensate for the softer texture. I
know cornstarch also makes the water bath unnecessary, but I find they
cook better. Also I think I've found an insurance for the water
leakage problem. Sit the springform in a layer of flour in the
standard foil wrap around the springform. Any water that gets in is
adsorbed by the flour and I think the flour gums up holes and slows
leaks.


I'm doing mini cheesecakes now. I'm using the foil cups-no muffin pans
neccessary. Without a water bath they fell--still tasted good. So I
used a Hefty foil lasagne pan(13.25 x 9.63 x 2.75) filled 1/3 with
water and then put in a Hefty foil cake pan(13x9x2). They fit
perfectly inside eachother, the rims sit so the cake pan never touches
the lasagne bottom. I then put a dozen muffin foils in there. They
came out perfectly, not a single one fell, they cooked evenly and
well--even with all the different additions in one batch (snickers &
milky way dark bars, cookie dough, brownie chunk, peanut butter,
amoretta, anisette, cappucino, etc.)


>Jason


DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)