Cheesecake flavors

[CanadianBakin']

You probably now this but it hasn't been brought up so I thought I would mention it just in case...the brulee has to be done just prior to serving as it will just melt into a pile of goo in the fridge.

[shaloop]

You probably now this but it hasn't been brought up so I thought I would mention it just in case...the brulee has to be done just prior to serving as it will just melt into a pile of goo in the fridge.

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I was thinking about this too. But, when I torch the sugar the cheesecake gets somewhat soft and needs rechilling. Creme Brulee recipes say to rechill after torching the top for no more than 4 hours. I'm thinking I can chill the cheesecake or maybe even freeze it and then caramelize the sugar and rechill for maybe thirty minutes to rechill and deliver it within that window. I realize that any cheesecake not eaten right away won't stay crunchy though.

[pjm333]

I am guessing I am to late with the recipe but I thought I would post it anyway's..This creme brulee is cooked on the stove with gelatin added and poured into dishes and served for brunch.

5 CUPS HEAVY CREAM

8 OZ SUGAR

17 OZ YOLKS

5 SHEETS GELATIN - SOAKED AND DRAINED

VANILLA BEANS- SPLIT

BRING CREAM AND BEANS TO A BOIL AND LET STEEP FOR 30 MINUTES. REHEAT CREAM MIXTURE. MIX YOLKS & SUGAR WELL AND ADD SOME OF THE CREAM TO THE YOLKS TO BLEND AND ADD BACK TO PAN WITH REMAINING CREAM. COOK THE MIXTURE TILL THICKENED AND STRAIN AND ADD GELATIN. POUR INTO RAMEKINS.

The mixture is strong enough to stand on top of a cake, but I wouldnt leave it room temp to long..I have used this recipe on individual cakes only and it held up well after being burned..I dont know how it will hold for a 8" +++ but you could always add more gelatin

[JFLinLA]

Check out my recipe for Caramel Cheesecake in the eGRA. Maybe you can use some of the technique here to get what you want.

PS -- I should update the recipe to note that it comes out better in a water bath, of course.

[shaloop]

Here is the final cheesecake

I ended up going with the recipe I tried out last week. I used regular granulated sugar on the top. I bruleed the top at 9:00 am and didn't cut it until 3:00 pm and the sugar was still crisp on top (as you can see in the picture, it was hard to cut and was somewhat jagged since it was so delicate.) Otherwise it came out great. Thanks for the suggestions.

[JeanneCake]

Every holiday season, I seem to get obsessed with the idea of a "holiday" cheesecake - last year it was a Peppermint Cheesecake along the lines of peppermint swirl ice cream. This year, I'd like to try a Gingerbread cheesecake because I've been scarfing down Gingerbread cookies!

Anyway, not one of my cheesecake books have a gingerbread cheesecake recipe (there's plenty that call for a gingersnap crust; I'm looking for the cheesecake to be gingerbread flavored; I may do a chocolate crumb crust). When I did a google recipe search, I came up with the same recipe a few different times. It's a basic vanilla cheesecake marbled with a molasses/spice swirl. I'm planning on trying it, but I wondered if anyone here had already done this or something like it. Another alternative is adapting Emily Lucchetti's spiced vanilla cheesecake recipe.

Any ideas? Have you tried this before and are willing to share your recipe?

[CanadianBakin']

I don't have a recipe so I tried googling "ginger cheesecake" rather than "gingerbread cheesecake". It comes up with a few more recipe. These usually just have ginger in them but you could adjust the spices using your favourite gingerbread recipe. Just a thought if you get stuck.

You know what might taste good though is a swirl of crushed gingersnaps through either a vanilla or a very lightly spiced cheesecake. I think the texture would be appealing.

edited to add: having a think about that you'd have to mix the crumbs with something or they wouldn't swirl. Here's a swirl from a King Arthur scone recipe that you might be able to adapt:

6 ounces butterscotch chips

5 ounces brown sugar

3 ounces butter, cold

2 tablespoons cinnamon

All ground up in the food processor.

Edited November 9, 2006 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[fanny_the_fairy]

I love love love the idea of a gingerbread cheesecake being myself both a cheesecake and gingerbread lover.

I think it's a great idea to adapt a basic recipe by doing the following:

- use light muscovado sugar instead of the regular caster sugar

- mix in cinnamon and 4 spices

Another great trick for the 'pain d'épice' twist would be to use less sugar and add honey to the batter.

Anyway, tell us how it turned out.

- fanny

[StephMac]

Don't know if this would work or not, but... how about taking the molasses/ginger swirl part of the recipe and just blending it straight into the cheesecake batter to flavor it all? Is it a liquidy "swirl"? If not, maybe make a really strong-flavored, reduced gingerbread-flavor syrup and blend that into a plain cheesecake recipe?

I'm so curious now! Sounds yummy

[M. Lucia]

Hope this helps:

Gingerbread Cheesecake

2 lb cream cheese

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbl chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 cup molasses

2 tbl butter

1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves and nutmeg

1/4 cup flour

crust of choice

Put brown sugar and crystallized ginger in food processor and process to chop up ginger. Add the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and flour and pulse to combine.

Put the molasses in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the eggs. Add the sugar mixture and molasses.

Pour filling into a springform tin with your par-baked crust. Bake 350 degrees 1+ hour or until set.

[GTO]

Not strictly a "Gingerbread" Cheesecake but this recent entry on Slashfood might interest you.

Pumpkin & ginger-pecan cheesecake

[cookman]

Here are a few recipes that look interesting:

Here, here, or here.

[CanadianBakin']

As I was eating homemade gingerbread with caramel sauce and whipped cream last night I had another idea. What if you ground gingersnaps with just enough caramel sauce to hold them together and then used that as a swirl. Combined with the vanilla cheesecake would be delicious.

[Mr. Delicious]

Yesterday I made a candy cane, and a chocolate candy cane cheesecake, they both looked wonderful after I pressed in chopped candy canes last night. But when I looked today the candies have melted. I need a suggestion please.

before

after

I used the round mints not true candy canes if that matters any.

[Gifted Gourmet]

There must have been residual warmth from the baking would be my best guess ... did the cake cool for a long period of time before the candy was applied to the surface?

[MGLloyd]

Or it could just be the moisture from the cheesecake batter.

[Mr. Delicious]

There must have been residual warmth from the baking would be my best guess ... did the cake cool for a long period of time before the candy was applied to the surface?

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It was cooled over night and the candy was applied while completely cool.

[Kerry Beal]

It is the moisture from the cheese cake. Same thing happens with truffle centres unless your only ingredients are chocolate and butter. If you add any cream, it dissolves the sugar crystals and your cany melts.

Sure looked great the day before!!

[Gifted Gourmet]

It is the moisture from the cheese cake

Yeah, so simply use a wet vac before applying the peppermint pieces ...

[alanamoana]

also, if you're storing your cheesecake in the fridge (as most people do), the humidity in the fridge will help destroy your garnish. i say, keep an airtight container of the crushed mints on the side and when you slice and serve the cheesecake, sprinkle some on the individual slice as a garnish.

you could also spread a very thin layer of tempered chocolate on a piece of plastic wrap on your counter, sprinkle the crushed mints on top before the chocolate sets up (like a bark), cut out a circle the size of the top of your cheesecake (or wedge shapes for the individual slices) and top the cake with the chocolatey-mint garnish

Edited December 2, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[JeanneCake]

I was after a candy cane cheesecake last year - I crushed them and used them in the batter as well as a garnish - they melted on top just like yours - as alanamoana said from the humidity in the fridge. (They eventually melted inside too). This year, I found Andes peppermint bits in the supermarket, but I haven't bought them. It is probably along the same lines as what alanamoana is describing witthe candy cane bark.

If you celebrate Easter, and try the same thing with jelly beans - same result!

[highchef]

or add crushed hard peppermints and freeze until a couple of hours before needing.

I put hard candy lavander 'flowers' on top of my petit fours..usually for wedding showers. They soften up beautifully and 'become one' with the poured fondant..without losing shape. Talk about save time!

[aguynamedrobert]

Little science lesson...the reason the candy melts is, like others said, due to the moisture...Sugar is what we call "Hygroscopic" which means it attracts moisture...it draws that moisture in and then the sugar is broken down and diluted by the water so it does not hold its shape anymore...

Hygroscopic....word of the day lol

Robert

Chocolate Forum

[SorchaR]

I'd still hit it, melted or not.

[Mr. Delicious]

Finally made it, I cooked up some applewood smoked bacon, put some grease in the crust, layered chocolate cheesecake batter, sprinkled chopped bacon and then a layer of peanut better cheesecake batter.

I really thought it would be wilder than it is, and people actually have ordered it! It is quite good. What to make now....