Cheesecake

Cheesecake

3 years ago while working at the Peekskill Brewery. I had to make a ricotta cheesecake for the first time. As you can imagine I was trembling. Now it didn’t turn out that great, but it turned out. Today, many cheesecakes later, I can proudly say I have mastered this dessert.

If the years of “chef life” have taught me anything, it’s no matter what I am doing in the kitchen, my days are full of surprises. I remember looking at the ricotta cheesecake in Peekskill and pondering what I could’ve done wrong. I followed the recipe, dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s. The problem, I found upon further investigation was the recipe was for a conventional oven and not a commercial. The heat from the restaurant oven had dried it out very quickly because it ran a convection fan. Unfortunately, it became borderline inedible. Taking the cheesecake to my executive chef, he told me to make it work. So I did. I smothered it in a raspberry compote, to cover up my mistake. Good news we sold out that night. Nobody knew, the show must go on.

This time I wanted to make the classic version. Show everyone the basics. Though it did take a little longer than I expected due to the size of the cheesecake. Things change, cooking environments change, recipes change and you have prepare for that. The original recipe was for mini cheesecakes and they cook at a faster rate. I adjusted this recipe so it could make a single serving cheesecake, looking like the ones you see at the restaurant. I then went ahead and topped it with a caramel sauce and it took my taste buds to FLAVORTOWN!

What you tell yourself everyday will either lift you up or tear you down. I enter my kitchen looking at failure as an opportunity to learn. Making that cheesecake. Finding a recipe that is really hard and trying it out. Remember to challenge yourself and grow. Try out our recipe maybe you found something that I missed.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake filling:

1. 6 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
2. 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. ¼ cup sugar
4. 1 egg

Cheesecake crust:

1. a pinch of salt
2. 2 graham crackers
3. 1 Tbsp. butter
4. 2 tsp all-purpose flours

 Caramel Sauce:

1. ¼ cup sugar
2. 1 Tbsp. butter
3. ⅛ cup heavy cream
4. 2 Tbsp. water

Equipment:

1. Kitchen aid standing mixer w/ paddle attachment
2. 3 inch ring mold
3. Spatula
4. Tin foil
5. Mixing bowl
6. Deep roasting pan
7. Water

Directions:

1. Take a foil and wrap it around the bottom of the 3 in ring mold
2. preheat the oven to 375
3. In a mixing bowl crush all the graham crackers into small pieces
4. Mix in softened butter and flour.
5. Mix together until a crumbly dough forms
6. Pack into the bottom of the ring mold
7. Bake for 5 mins, then remove from oven to cool
8. In the standing mixer using the paddle attachment beat the eggs, cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla extract until completely together
9. Fill the ring mold with the cream cheese mixture
10. Put the mold into the roasting pan and fill it up with water halfway up the sides
11. Cook the cheesecake for 40-50 mins or until the top begins to rise and begin to split
12. Remove the cheesecake and chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving

For Caramel:

1. Heat up sugar and water until sugar begins to take a tan color.
2. Remove from the heat and add butter and heavy cream *Careful the sugar may react to the butter and heavy cream and fizzle up*
3. whisk until butter melts and caramel is forms

Plating:

Take your cheesecake remove the tin foil and press up on the bottom of the cake mold gently. Then press from the top and gently press out the cheesecake thru the bottom of the mold onto the center of a small plate. Take your caramel and drizzle over the top until it is rolling down the sides. Sprinkle a little sea salt and serve. Not Your Ordinary Cheesecake. 

From all of us at Heavenly Eating, keep cooking. Don’t be afraid. Put whatever you’re feeling like to the test. Impress yourself & your friends. Feel free to email us Max@heavenlyeating.com.  

Please share your creations, fails and success stories with us on Twitter and Instagram @HeavenlyEating. Share and Like us on Facebook.