Old Fashioned Baked Cheezecake

This cheesecake is the best baked cheesecake I have eaten. It is very light and creamy and goes wonderful with fruit toppings or just plain. It is easy to make, but it is time consuming. Despite the fact that it has 5 packages of cream cheese in it, it tastes lighter than most cheesecakes I have had. Got a special dinner you are cooking for your loved one this Saturday night? Serve this cheesecake for dessert and have him or her eating out of the palm of your hand. For sure!

Old Fashioned Baked Cheezecake

Crust:
1 1/4 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sugar

Melt the butter. Mix the sugar into the graham cracker crumbs. Add the melted butter. Mix and press into bottom of spring form pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool. Leave the oven on for the cheesecake to bake later.



Filling:
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup sour cream (cold)
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
5 packages of cream cheese (never the low-fat kind)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs (at room temperature)

Cream the cheese with the sugar on high speed. Add 2 tsp vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time continuing to beat on medium speed. (only use medium speed after the cream cheese is creamed). Add the flour. Turn mixer on low speed and add in the sour cream. Stop the mixer after this addition.

In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it stiffens. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese batter.



Pour into the pan and bake in the middle of the oven at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. The cake will rise out of the pan: not to worry, it should just brown around the edge and begin to set up in the middle. At that time, shut off the oven, move the cheesecake to the front of the oven and open the oven door about the width of a hand and leave door open. When the pan is cool enough to pick up, take out of the oven and cool on counter for 1 hour. DO NOT REMOVE THE SPRING FORM PAN





After the hour, run a knife around the inside of the pan to separate the cake from the edge. Cool overnight before removing the spring form pan. Enjoy!!



Tips:
- if preparing for a special occasion, make sure you make it the day before so it will be ready for your special occasion
- Serve with any fruit topping and whipped cream for an extra treat.
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce for more elegant treat.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This is a dessert that is easy to make, but it does take some time to bake. But, it is so yummy with a bit of whipped cream. You can freeze this into individual portions but it does have to be refrigerated. I also will include directions at the bottom if you do not have a springform pan, it is very easy to make in a 13x9" baking dish. In this recipe, I used fresh pumpkin since I felt ambitious and bought sugar pumpkins but it is also just as good using canned pumpkin. I found this recipe in my Fall 2006 issue of Kraft Food and Family magazine of which I subscribe to and it comes in my mailbox every season. If you have not already, get this subscription. It is free and has many many wonderful recipes and you can subscribe at Kraft Food and Family Magazine and Email subscription. You can opt for email recipes or just sign up for the Kraft Food and Family Magazine.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
25 Nabisco Ginger Snaps Cookies, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Pumpkin Filling:
4 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin (directions for fresh pumpkin are as follows below)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves (I used 1/8 tsp)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 if using a dark pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans, and melted butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9 inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter and set aside in a small bowl. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for the swirl effect.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely and remove springform pan sides. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Notes:
- If you do not have a springform pan, you can use a 13x9 inch baking dish. Line with foil and extend the foil over the edges. Prepare as directed, reduce baking time to 45 minutes or until center is almost set.
- You can use 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers in the place of ginger snap cookies.
- You can use fresh pumpkin instead of canned. It is a bit more work but it can be done. To do this, get one pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (they are small, cut them in half after removing stem, take out seeds, bake flesh side down in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours and then cool. Spoon out cooked pumpkin from skin and puree in blender or food processor until smooth, use as you would use canned pumpkin. Refrigerate any leftover pumpkin and it will keep in refrigerator for 5 days.