Moist Cherry Cheesecake

A rich and moist cheesecake filled with fresh cherries.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cream cheese
1/2 lb margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/8 tsp almond extract
1 1/8 tsp lemon extract
1 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 lb cherries

Method

Cream margarine and cream cheese. Add sugar and eggs 2 at a time. Add flavorings. Combine dry ingredients and cherries and add. Mix well. Pour into bundt pan and bake at 300 degrees for 85 minutes.

Notes: When baked this cake looks like an ordinary cherry cake, but it is more moist and delicious.
Number of servings: 16

Submitted By: newfie-cook

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An elegant cheese cake made with biscotti cookies, pistachios, and mascarpone cheese.

 

Ingredients:
For the crust:
About 12 small or 6 large biscotti (preferably a variety with pistachios) to make approximately 1 1/2 cups finely ground crumbs
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
2-8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2-8 ounce containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Method

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the crumbled biscotti and the pistachios in the workbowl of a food processor and process until finely ground crumbs form. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or cooking spray. Mix all of the crust ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly to form a tightly packed crust--just cover the bottom of the pan, not the sides. Bake the crust in the preheated oven until set and golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely before filling. For the cheesecake filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bottom of the prepared crust pan tightly with aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping into the pan while baking in a water bath. Set aside. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Using the paddle attachment of a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and honey on low speed until the batter is smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl well to ensure even mixing. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until just combined; do not overmix of the mascarpone may separate. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add orange zest, juice, vanilla and salt and mix just to combine. Pour the filling over the crust in the prepared pan. Place the springform pan into a larger pan or deep baking dish. To form a water bathc, add hot water to the large pan--until halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until it is puffed around the edges and the center moves only slightly when the pan is tapped, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven with door slightly open for another 30 minutes to cool gradually. Remove the cake from the oven and water bath, and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or preferably overnight to ensure easier cutting.

Notes: Optional: top the cheesecake with extra pistachios and a drizzle of honey.
Number of servings: 8-10

Submitted By: chefmoni

Cinnamon Raisin Cheesecake Puffs Recipe

At a Glance
Prep Time : 15min
Cook Time : 12min
Course : Cakes, Dessert
Special : Caffeine-Free, Easy, Egg-Free, Kosher (Dairy), Large Quantity, Make Ahead, Non-Alcoholic, Quick, Vegetarian
Type of Prep : Bake, Processor
Cuisine : U.S. Regional
Occasion : Fall, Family Dinner, Party, Spring, Summer, Winter

Here is a great sweet for finger-food parties or brunches. Start with refrigerated canned crescent rolls to whip these tasty cheesecake puffs up in a jiffy.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raisins, plumped, divided (see instructions)
8 ounces cream cheese, divided use - reserve 2 ounces for glaze below, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 (8-ounce) cans Pillsbury¨ Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
Powdered sugar for dusting work surface
.
Glaze:
2 ounces cream cheese (from above 8-ounce block), at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 teaspoons milk or cream
PREPARATION:
Place raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for about 15 minutes until plumped. Drain, pat dry, and discard liquid.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Lightly grease mini-muffin tins.

Place 6 ounces cream cheese (3/4 of the block), sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, egg, and half of raisins in food processor. Pulse until combined, but raisins are not completely liquified. Pour into bowl and mix in remaining whole raisins.

Work with canned rolls one at a time so dough stays cold as long as possible. Lightly dust work surface with powdered sugar. Remove dough from can and separate into 4 rectangles. For each rectangle, press the triangle seam firmly together and lightly flatten. Cut each rectangle into 6 pieces. You should have 24 squares per can of rolls. Place each square into individual mini-muffin slots in pan. (It's okay if corners hang over the top a little.) Spoon about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture into each dough square. Repeat with second can of rolls.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature. Top with Glaze as follows.

Glaze:
Mix remaining 2 ounces cream cheese, sugar, and cream together until smooth. Spoon into a zip-top baggie, squeeze out the air, and seal the zipper. Snip off a tiny piece of one of the bottom corners of the bag. Squeezing glaze through the hole, pipe decorative swirl on each puff.

Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 48 puffs

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

This marbled sour cream cheese cake in a Nutter Butter cookie crust has Reeses' peanut butter cups through-out.

Ingredients:
24 to 30 Nutter Butter cookies
1/2 cup melted butter
26 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (regular size)
4-8 oz. pkgs. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Sour Cream
3 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
Method

Crust: Crush the Nutter Butter cookies and mix with the melted butter. Press onto the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes; remove from oven and arrange 6 of the peanut butter cups over the hot crust; let melt, spread slightly, then cool. Filling: Mix together Cream Cheese, Sugar, Sour cream, flour, and Vanilla; add eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed just until blended. Chop 10 of the remaining peanut butter cups; gently stir into mixture. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the cooled crust. Melt the 10 remaining Peanut Butter Cups over very low heat, and mix with remaining cream cheese mixture. Pour in pan and swirl slightly with a narrow spatula or table knife. Bake at 325 degrees for 65-70 minutes. Let cool; put in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

Submitted By: paxcod13

Blueberry Cheesecake Bites Recipe

These little cheesecake bites are moist, rich, and loaded with blueberries. For convenience and speed, it begins with a cake mix and uses canned blueberry pie filling. The recipe makes a lot which is a good thing, since no one can eat just one.

 

INGREDIENTS:
Bottom:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
8 Tablespoons butter, melted, but at room temperature (1 stick)
1 box (18.25 ounces) French vanilla cake mix

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 can (21 ounces) extra-fruit blueberry pie filling, drained
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini-muffin pans with papers.

For the Bottom:
Cream 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 egg and butter together on low speed until combined, about 1 minute.

 

Blend in cake mix by hand until combined. It will be very thick, but piable like a soft dough. Press 1 teaspoon mix into bottom of each mini-muffin paper.

 

For the Topping:
Place cream cheese, 3 eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth, at least 3 minutes or longer if need be. Drop about 1/2 Tablespoon of mix into each muffin cup over vanilla base. Press 2 to 3 drained blueberries into the filling in each muffin.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Cool Forest Buttermilk Bars Recipe

1 can (14.5 ounces) pie cherries packed in water (not syrup), drained

1 (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix, divided use
1 egg
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered confectioner's sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered confectioner's sugar for topping

Instructions
Put cherries in a strainer to drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Reserve 1 heaping cup dry cake mix and set aside.

In large bowl, combine remaining cake mix, 1 egg, 4 ounces cream cheese and butter; blend well. Spread batter into bottom of foil-lined 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press lightly into batter. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside.

In medium bowl, cream 2 eggs, buttermilk, cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and cocoa until well blended. Slowly add reserved cake mix, and beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and thickened (about 3 minutes).

Place drained cherries on paper towels and gently blot dry. Spread cherries evenly over baked crust. Top with batter, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Dust bar tops generously with sifted powdered sugar just before serving as the moisture in the bars will cause the sugar to melt within a matter of hours.

Yield: 24 bars

Peggy's Note: You must love the flavor of cocoa to like these bars. The cherries give a hint of sweet and sour flavor, but the bars are not overly sweet.


Recipe from: Peggy Trowbridge

Banana Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Ingredients
Bottom
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
8 tablespoons butter, melted, but at room temperature (1 stick)
1 box (18.25 ounces) chocolate devil's food cake mix

Topping
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1/2 pound or 2 large bananas)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with foil.

For the Bottom:
Cream 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 egg and butter together on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Blend in cake mix by hand until combined. It will be very thick, but piable like a soft dough. Press into bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

For the Topping:
Place cream cheese, banana, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth, at least 3 minutes or longer if need be. Add eggs one at a time, beating only until incorporated. Spread cream cheese batter evenly over bottom chocolate layer.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Cool completely. Carefully remove from pan, peel off foil, and cut into squares. Just prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe from: Peggy Trowbridge, Home Cooking Guide

Blue Ribbon Cheesecake Recipe

The Author says: "I have won numerous awards with this recipe." --George Geary

Ingredients
Crust:
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (300 mL)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (50 mL)

Filling:
4 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar (300 mL)
4 eggs
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (45 mL)
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)

Topping:
1/2 cup sour cream (125 mL)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 mL)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 mL)
1/2 tsp vanilla (2 mL)

Decoration:
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (500 mL)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F./180 degrees C. Prepare pan: 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.

Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.

Filling:
In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour over frozen crust. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.

Topping:
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into center of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating.

Decoration:
Top with sliced strawberries when completely chilled.

Tips:
• Zest lemons and limes before juicing and freeze the zest for another recipe.
• This cheesecake freezes well for up to 4 months before decorating. Defrost in the refrigerator the day prior to use and then decorate.

Variation:
If fresh berries are not available, spread 1 cup (250 mL) strawberry preserves on top.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Banana Nut Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup margarine, melted
16 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons water

Instructions
Combine crumbs and margarine; press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Combine cream cheese, sugar and banana, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in walnuts, pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Loosen cake from rim; cool before removing rim of pan. Melt chocolate pieces and margarine with water over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake. Chill.