cheesecake

Make For Your Valentine

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Raspberry Heart Cheesecake

Raspberry Heart Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 12 sheets)
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups plus 5 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 pint (6 oz.) fresh raspberries
  • 2 lbs. cream cheese, room temperature
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 32 cups of standard muffin tins with paper liners. For crumb crust, stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter and 3 tbsp. sugar; press 1 tbsp. mixture into bottom of each cup. Bake until set and beginning to color at edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool.

Puree raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tbsp. sugar.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add remaining 1 ½ cups sugar in a slow stream. Mix in salt and vanilla until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each (do not overmix) and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Spoon 3 tbsp. filling over crust in each cup; tap pans on counter to set filling. Drop 2 dots of raspberry puree about 1 inch apart on each. Drag the tip of a toothpick or wooden skewer through centers of each dot to create a heart.

To bake, set tins in roasting pans. Pour hot water to halfway up side of tins. Bake until set, about 34 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate cheesecakes in tins (uncovered) at least 4 hours; remove from tins using an offset spatula. Cakes can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 5 days.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Easy Desserts For Any Occasion

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New York Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake

For the crust:

  • 15 full size graham crackers (1 ½ packages), crushed
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup sugar

Filling:

  • 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • Fruit topping (optional)

Method:

Mix graham crackers, butter and ½ cup sugar together well and pat into the bottom and sides of a 9-10 inch springform pan. Put into the freezer while preparing the filing. Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, yolks and vanilla – one at a time. Stir well between additions, scraping the sides of the bowl often.

Pour the filling over the crust. Wrap the bottom and halfway up the sides of pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping into the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake pan into a baking and with sides and place into the oven. Fill the outer pan with hot water.

Bake at 550 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until puffed. If it starts turning brown too quickly, turn the oven down immediately. Reduce the oven to 200 degrees F and bake for 1 hour or until the cake is mostly firm. The center will still jiggle slightly when the pan is shaken.

Remove from the oven and run a wet knife around edge to loosen. Cool on the countertop for 2 hours. Put in the refrigerator to cool completely overnight.

For the garnish:

Serve plain or with fruit topping drizzled over cheesecake, if desired.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Easy Desserts For Any Occasion

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Lemon and Walnut Cheesecake

Lemon and Walnut Cheesecake

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cottage cheese, sieved
  • Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
  • 3 tsp. unflavored gelatin
  • 4 tbsp. hot water
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 ¼ cups crushed graham crackers
  • 6 tbsp. butter, melted
  • Few walnut halves

Method:

Grease an 8 inch loose bottomed cake pan. Blend the cottage cheese, lemon rind and juice together. Place the gelatin in a small bowl with the hot water and stir until it has dissolved. Mix the egg yolks and sugar together until thick, then add to the gelatin. Heat over hot water until the mixture thickens slightly. Cool and add to the cottage cheese. When the mixture is on the point of setting, fold in 2/3 cup of the cream, whipped, and the whisked egg whites. Pour into the pan and chill in the refrigerator. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and spread over the cheese cake. Press lightly so the crumbs will stick together. Allow to set. Turn out on to a serving plate, decorate with whipped cream and walnuts, then serve.

Serves 8-10

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com