I just realized that almost a month has passed since I have
blogged about anything. Wow….the last
month and a half has flown by! It seems
like it was one thing after another, totaled my car, got a new one,
Christmas! New Year! Got sick, mom
busted her foot (to put it mildly) so I had my birthday a week late, then got
busy with work and wow It’s already February!
Let’s hope the little monster, I mean groundhog, doesn’t see his shadow
tomorrow. I’m ready for spring!!!
Tonight I am making my first cheesecake. I bought a spring form pan just after Christmas,
and finally have a reason to make a cheesecake.
We are having dinner guests tomorrow, and they love cheesecake! I was going to do something weird and fun,
but hey…it’s my first time…gotta start slow.
I had no idea what all went into making one of my favorite
deserts. And wow was I a bit daunted…there
are literally hundreds of recipes for cheesecake on the interwebs…I hope I like
the one I made! Of course I had to make
a quick dash to the store after realizing I didn’t have HALF of the ingredients
I needed…so here it is already after 9 and I still have just under an hour of
baking time…and another hour in the oven afterwards…before I can refrigerate it…But
I’m getting ahead of myself
First time for the crust, or base of the cheesecake, black
walnuts (pulverized in the food processor) brown sugar and spices
Then some graham crackers, also pulverized in the food
processor
Add a bit o butter and press into the bottom of a GREASED
spring form pan! Bake for 10 minutes at 350.
While the crust is cooking time to beat up the cream cheese
and sugar until it’s smooth.
Add the sour cream (do do a dollop of Daisy!)
And the heavy whipping cream.
Once that is all incorporated (and make sure you scrape the
bowl, a lot) add the flour
And the Vanilla, I’m a vanilla snob and had to get some
vanilla tonight…and soooo glad I did!!!
As soon as the crust is out of the oven, and cool, use
aluminum foil to wrap the pan, this way the water doesn’t get into the spring
form, therefore ruining the cheesecake (I read online all about the horrors of
a watery cheesecake)
With the mixer on low, add the three eggs, one at a time,
waiting until each egg is fully mixed in.
Pour the batter into the pan, pour boiling water from the
kettle (cause I usually have the kettle of hot water on) into the larger pan…and
thank goodness I had this huge ole pan from my Thanksgiving turkey…otherwise
there would not have been a hot water bath for this cheesecake….and bake for
60-70 minutes, checking on it after 30 or so to see if you need to add more
water.
Once done, turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in
for at least 1 hour, without opening the door…
Then you can refrigerate this decadent dessert for 6 hours,
or overnight (as I am doing). Looks like
I’ll be going to bed around midnight tonight…
