Cheesecake: T minus 18 hours and counting

[Lester]

I am making my first cheese cake this week-end (tomorrow actually). I found the recipe for the Cheesecake Facotry online and am going to try making that. Wish me luck.

[james]

Must send pictures!
James

[Lester]

Here is the recipe I used:

crust
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup finely chopped vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Crust: Mix all nuts and vanilla wafer crumbs with melted butter and press into a 9 inch buttered springform pan, trying to line the sides as much as possible about 1 1/2" up the sides of the pan, set aside.
2. Cheesecake: All above ingredients should be at room temperature before your begin.
3. Start by beating the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
4. Keep the mixer on a low setting throughout the beating and mixing process.
5. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue beating until creamy.
6. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg.
7. When eggs have been mixed into the cream cheese add flour, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well.
8. Add the sour cream last and beat well.
9. Pour cream cheese into the spring pan.
10. Place on the top rack in the middle of a 325 degrees preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes.
11. When time is up, prop open oven door and leave in oven for one hour.
12. After one hour, remove from oven.

The recipe was nice. I wouldn't say that it was a clone of an actual Cheesecake Factory product, but it was in the top 10% of cheesecakes I have ever had. It was tasty.

Also, pictures, as requested!

[CanuckJim]

Lester,

For a first time cheesecake chef, you're a wonder. Branch out. See if you can find a small book, The Joy of Cheesecake, by Dana Bovbjerg & Jeremy Iggers, Woodbury, New York: Barron's, 1980, ISBN 0-8120-5350-8. It has some wonderful recipes in it, including my personal favourite, Ricotta Cheesecake. Keep up the tasty work.

Jim

[james]

Lester,

Agreed. You are a natural. Your ingredients are fresh and high quality and everything looks great. Complimeti. We've been making a ricotta cake from the Silver Spoon cookbook that works nicely.

Flour, eggs, brown sugar, ricotta, lemon rind, EVO, milk and baking powder. Similar, though not the same.

Keep posting!
James