Best 6 My Mothers 1 Deliciously Rich Cheesecake Recipes

EXTRA RICH AND CREAMY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray.
• Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy duty tinfoil. I recommend doing several diligent layers here to ensure no water creeps through when you place the pan in the water bath. Set pan aside.
• In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter; stir well to combine. Firmly pat the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack and set aside while you prepare the filling.
• In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a very large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Add sugar and vanilla and beat smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add in the cream and beat until it's just incorporated in the batter.
• Pour filling into prepared crust and, using a silicone spatula, smooth the top.
• Place the cheesecake pan into a large, deep pan. Fill the pan with 2 inches of hot water. This is your water bath and will help ensure your cheesecake comes out crack free.
• Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 45 minutes, inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly.
• Remove cake from oven and gently run a knife very around the edge of the cake. Place the cheesecake pan on a cooling rack and cool completely, then loosely cover the pan with saran wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.
• Cheesecake will keep, covered in the fridge, for 5 days. Cheesecake may be frozen for 2 months. Thaw overnight before slicing.

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

MOM'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Melt the butter in a covered microwave-safe medium bowl in the microwave. Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir together the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edge. Bake until browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool. Wrap the bottom of the pan and up the side with foil, and put the pan on a baking sheet.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream, and mix until just combined. Add the heavy cream, and mix until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at time. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest if using until just combined. (Do not overmix, or the cake will turn into a souffle!)
• Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until the cake is slightly golden and barely set in the middle, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, and leave the cake inside with the door shut for 1 hour. It will continue to set and color slightly in the oven.
• Run a thin knife or spatula between the cake and the pan to prevent the cake from cracking as it chills. (Mom's cheesecake usually cracked, since she didn't do this.) Refrigerate overnight before serving.

MOM'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and melted margarine. Mix all ingredients well and press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and salt. Fold in the sour cream.
• Pour batter into springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave cake in for at least 30 minutes.

NEVER-FAIL CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Cream the cheese (easy to do if it's at room temperature). Add eggs, one at a time, and then beat in 1 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. Using small muffin tins filled with paper liners, fill the tins to 1/8-inch from the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops begin to crack (if tops have not cracked after baking 30 minutes, remove them from the oven anyway, as they are adequately baked by that time).
• While cakes are baking, mix sour cream with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in a bowl.
• Remove the cakes from the oven, leaving the oven on, and cool on wire cake racks in tins for 5 minutes, or until the cakes drop. Then cover the tops of the cakes with the sour cream mixture and put them back in oven for 5 more minutes. Remove the cakes from their tins, use a teaspoon to help get them out, and set them on wire racks to cool. Once they have cooled, put the cakes in the refrigerator. Before serving, add topping of your choice.

MY MOTHER'S MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine macaroni, tomatoes, onion salt, pepper and 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 15 minutes longer.