Cheesecake Love

by Jocelyn Brubaker

  I highly recommend a small offset frosting spatula. This is a spatula that has the blade lower than the handle. It makes it much easier to frost the tops of cakes and to spread batter in pans.

  > ROLLING PIN <

  A rolling pin is a kitchen tool that allows you to flatten and shape dough. They are generally cylinder shaped with small handles on either end. You can also use a rolling pin to crush cookies and crackers in plastic bags when you are making a crust for your cheesecake.

  > WHISK <

  This utensil has a narrow handle and wire or plastic loops joined together on the end. Whisks are used for mixing ingredients smoothly or for incorporating air into a mixture quickly.

  I recommend having a whisk attachment for your mixer for making some toppings (like homemade Whipped Cream. A handheld whisk is good to have in your kitchen for making toppings that don’t require a long whisk time (like Lemon Curd, or Caramel Topping).

  > STAND MIXER <

  A stand mixer has a frame that houses the motor. It also has a mounting base to hold the bowl in place as it works. They come in a variety of colors to match your kitchen décor, if desired.

  I grew up using a hand mixer for everything I made. Trust me, making multiple batches of frosting and cookie dough takes a lot longer that way. My husband surprised me with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for my birthday one year, and I have never gone back to that hand mixer again. A stand mixer is more expensive, but it is totally worth every penny, in my book. Mixing things like frosting and cookie dough is much easier when you have a mixer that can handle it. Plus, if you are a multitasker like me, you can turn on the mixer and then work on another aspect of the recipe (and yes, we are getting to those soon!). If all you have is a hand mixer, do not despair. You can make every recipe in this book with that handheld tool as well. Just add that stand mixer to your birthday or Christmas list ASAP!

  > FOOD PROCESSOR <

  This electric appliance is used to chop, slice, dice, crush, or mix ingredients easily. Make sure you purchase one that is big enough to accommodate how you want to use it. I love using mine to crush cookies and crackers for crusts, but I also use it for making homemade pie dough (see Piecrust).

  > PIPING BAGS AND TIPS <

  Piping bags are triangular bags made of plastic or cloth. You use them to squeeze and press soft ingredients through the narrow end that is fitted with a metal or plastic icing tip.

  Icing tips come in many shapes and sizes and are used for decorating baked goods. The tips I use most often for cakes and cheesecakes are the Wilton tips 21 (open star), 27 (closed star), 2D (drop flower), and 1M (swirl). You can find these tips in the baking aisle at most craft stores. I love using them to pipe whipped cream, Cool Whip, or frosting on top of cakes and cheesecakes. The icing tips make these toppings look a little more professional with very little effort. Most of those craft stores also offer classes on how to decorate cakes like a pro.

  Basic Baking Tips

  MAKING LIFE EASIER

  > READ THE RECIPE <

  Make sure you take the time to read the entire recipe you are making, fully and completely, before you start baking. You want to make sure you understand each step and what is required to get that sweet treat at the end. Also, make sure you have enough time set aside to completely finish a recipe. Most kitchen-baking fails happen because you end up rushing through steps because you do not have enough time. Not like that has ever happened to me…okay, maybe more than once!

  > PAY ATTENTION <

  Pay attention to details in the recipe instructions like creaming, folding, or mixing. These are all different ways of mixing in certain ingredients. I know it would be easier to just dump it all in the bowl and let it mix, but there are reasons for each step being separated. Baking is a science. Follow the order of the recipe, and make sure you do each step completely and thoroughly before moving on to the next one. Any changes that you make to the recipe could affect the outcome of your baked goods.

  > PULL OUT YOUR INGREDIENTS <

  Set out all the ingredients on your counter before you get started. This way you can see if you are missing an ingredient. There is nothing more frustrating than getting halfway through a recipe and realizing you are out of sugar or flour just when you need it.

  > IS IT EXPIRED? <

  Check the expiration dates on things like flour, baking powder, and baking soda regularly. Expired ingredients will not work properly in a recipe, causing your dessert to be flat and dense.

  > TO CREAM OR NOT TO CREAM <

  Cream cheese and butter need to be set out at least 30 minutes before you use them in a recipe. This allows these ingredients to come to room temperature naturally. When cream cheese and butter are softer, it is easier to beat them into a creamy mixture.

  If you do forget to set the cream cheese out ahead of time, you can unwrap it and very carefully microwave it until soft. I will usually do this in 5-second increments, flipping it over each time, until it is slightly soft.

  Make sure to beat the cream cheese first before adding any other ingredients. This helps to get it nice and creamy. Adding sugar to the mixture next will help smooth out any extra lumps that may still be in the cream cheese. I like to beat the mixture until the cream cheese and sugar are a very smooth mixture! Starting with a smooth, creamy mixture makes it much easier to mix in the rest of the cheesecake ingredients.

  Do not be afraid to use your spatula many times in the creaming process. This essential kitchen tool is great for scraping the bowls and moving the ingredients down into the bottom of the bowl where the blades can mix it together better. It is a good idea to have extra spatulas to measure and scrape different ingredients.

  > REAL BUTTER IS BEST <

  Use real butter when a recipe calls for it. Butter and margarine are two different products and work in two different ways. Butter is a natural product made from cream and is better for baking because of its high fat content. This fat contributes to tenderness and flakiness in your baked goods. Margarine is not a natural product. It is made by adding hydrogen to oil and is composed of mostly water. That extra water in margarine can affect your cookies and cakes.

  When baking, I always use unsalted butter because this allows me to control the amount of salt in a recipe. If all you have on hand is salted butter, just adjust the amount of salt you add later.

  Cut your butter into small pieces to help it soften faster. Do not microwave your butter to soften it. Even a few seconds can melt the butter, which can affect how your cookies or cakes bake. If a recipe calls for melted butter, you can use a microwave to do that. Just make sure you only do 10-second increments; otherwise, your microwave will be coated in butter from top to bottom. Take my word on that one.

  > CHOOSING AN EGG <

  The size of egg you use makes a difference in recipes. Eggs add moisture to your batter, so using a different-size egg than is called for will throw off the ratio of dry and wet ingredients. This could result in your baked goods being too dry or too wet in the end. I used large eggs for every recipe in this book.

  > PREHEAT YOUR OVEN <

  Remember to preheat your oven before you begin a recipe. All ovens are different and heat up at different rates. Putting a pan of batter into an oven that is not at the right temperature will cause it to bake slower and unevenly. Using an oven thermometer is a great way to see if your oven is actually baking at the temperature at which you set.

  Once you place the product into the oven, do not open the oven door to check on it until it has baked for at least three-quarters of the baking time. You want to maintain a consistent oven temperature for as long as possible.

  Equally important is the use of a timer. Make sure you set a timer to remind you to take the food out of the oven. Also, make sure you are in hearing range of this timer. It’s always a sad day for dessert when your cakes, cookies, or cheesecake are dry and over baked.

  > USING FOIL AND PARCHMENT PAPER <

  I like to line all my pans with parchment paper
or aluminum foil. Not only does this keep the food from sticking to the pan, but it also makes getting a dessert out of your baking pan so much easier. Leave an extra bit of paper or foil at the top so you can lift your cake or brownies right out. Not to mention that cleanup time in the kitchen is a whole lot easier when all you have to do is throw away the liners.

  Here is a quick tip on lining a pan with foil that completely amazed my husband the first time he saw me doing it. First, turn your pan upside down and place it on the counter. Second, form the foil to the outside of the pan creating a foil mold. Third, remove the foil and turn the pan right-side up. Finally, place the foil mold inside the pan and press it into place. This should be a pretty good fit. And it makes everyone think you are awesome when they watch you do it! Thank you, Pinterest, for keeping me cool!

  Make sure you hold your pan over the sink when you coat the foil with baking spray. This way all the excess spray goes into the sink instead of all over your counters and floors.

  > HOW TO SCOOP FLOUR <

  Make sure you measure your flour properly. If you scoop flour out of your container with the measuring cup, it will pack it down, which in turn adds more flour to your recipe. Extra flour in a recipe can create a heavy, dried-out baked good, which is never a good idea.

  Use a spoon to stir your flour up a bit, and then spoon the flour gently into the measuring cup, mounding it over the top. Use a flat object like a butter knife or spatula to scrape the excess flour back into the container. Never shake the excess flour off the top of the measuring cup, as this will pack the flour down, too.

  > DO NOT OVERMIX <

  Be very careful not to overmix your cheesecake batter after adding liquids like heavy cream and eggs. Beating these liquids too much and too quickly produces air bubbles in the batter. As those air bubbles bake, they push the batter out, creating pockets. This is one reason that a cheesecake may crack as it bakes.

  > WATER BATH VERSUS STEAM BATH <

  There is great debate over whether to bake a cheesecake in a water bath or to steam it. Both ways will increase the moisture in your oven, and as the cheesecake bakes, that extra moisture keeps your end product nice and creamy.

  To bake a cheesecake in a water bath, you cover the bottom of the cheesecake pan with foil and then place it directly into a roasting pan of hot water in the oven. To steam a cheesecake, you simply bake the cheesecake on the oven rack above a pan of water.

  Either way will work, but I like that steam baths are less work, and there is no chance of water leaking into my delicious cheesecake (as there is with a water bath). I like to place a large rimmed baking sheet on the very bottom rack of my oven and fill it halfway with water. As the oven preheats, the water starts to heat up and create steam. Always place your cheesecake on the oven rack right above the water. There is no need to wrap your pan or place the cheesecake into the water using this method.

  One word of warning: When you open the oven door to either put the pan in or remove the pan, give the steam a second to escape before reaching in with your hands or face. Otherwise, be prepared to get a steamy, hot facial.

  > IS IT DONE? <

  Cheesecake often looks underbaked when you take it out of the oven. A good rule of thumb is to wiggle the pan gently. If the entire cheesecake moves, it is not done baking yet. If just 2 to 3 inches of the center jiggles a little, it is done. The center will also appear to be moist, but should never be runny.

  Cheesecake has to cool and set up before it is actually finished, so give it time to chill. The center will get firmer the longer it chills. Make sure you do not overbake your cheesecakes. Another main reason a cheesecake cracks is because it was baked too long. If you see a lot of browning along the edges or big cracks, you overbaked it. Keep in mind that some small cracking along the edges is okay, because as the cheesecake cools, the cracks will settle back into the top.

  Take the cheesecake out of the oven as soon as it is done. There is no need to keep it in the oven for extra time. I know everyone has differing opinions on this, but every cheesecake in this book was taken out and placed on a wire rack immediately after the timer went off. I’m a rebel like that! Leaving a cheesecake in the hot/warm oven will cause it to continue to bake, which in turn increases the risk for cracks and a dried-out cheesecake. That would be no bueno!

  Cool the cheesecake for 5 minutes on the wire rack, then immediately run a sharp knife around the top edge of the cheesecake between the cheesecake and the pan. This is very important, because it loosens the cheesecake from the springform pan. As the cheesecake cools, it will start to shrink slightly. If the cheesecake is still attached to the sides of the pan, it will pull apart the soft center in the middle, creating a crack.

  Realize that even if you follow every step in this book, cracks are bound to happen. Be prepared to see cracks in a cheesecake at some point in your baking career. Even the pros have off days and get cracks. Melted chocolate, whipped cream, and/or fruit will be your best friend when that happens. Just cover that crack up with some goodness, and no one will ever know about it. They will be too busy stuffing their face with your creamy cheesecake to look for imperfections.

  > MAKING PERFECT CUTS <

  Use a hot, sharp knife to make perfect cuts in your baked goods for serving. I usually run a knife under very hot water and then dry it off in between each cut I make in a dessert. You can also use this hot, dry knife to smooth the sides of the dessert as well. This process takes a little longer (and you will probably have to keep everyone who is dying to eat it back) but the results make for a pretty presentation…then devour it!

  > HAVE FUN WHILE YOU BAKE <

  And last, but most important, have fun while you are baking. Be open to your own creativity. Every baker is different and has different ideas about what flavors work together. How boring would life be if we all liked the same things? Play with different crust ideas or mix-ins after you get comfortable baking a recipe. Most of the recipes in this book can be used interchangeably. Don’t like a certain fruit or candy mix-in or cookie that I used? Prefer a Butterfinger Cheesecake Pie over the Snickers Cheesecake Pie? Go ahead and change out the candy bar for one that you love. Tweak the recipe, and do you! Baking is all about trial and error. Yes, it may fail, but you will learn from those mistakes, and that just means more time in the kitchen perfecting your baking.

  Stocking the Cheesecake Love Pantry

  One of the best ways to make baking manageable on busy weeknights is to stock your pantry with all the components you might need—everything from mixes to fillings to toppings. Sometimes you’ll want to go for a store-bought shortcut. I’m all about using a boxed cake mix or brownie mix and jazzing them up to look homemade. But I have found that it is also just as easy to make these mixes in your own kitchen. Think homemade apple pie filling and caramel topping are too hard to make? Think again. I’ll show you just how easy it is to create your own toppings, fillings, and brownie mixes in no time!

  Single-Batch Homemade Brownies

  PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

  BAKE TIME: 25 TO 30 MINUTES

  SERVING: MAKES 12 BROWNIES

  Our youngest absolutely loves brownies, but they have to be plain brownies. Any time I add any extra things like chocolate chips or frosting, he gives me a sad-puppy-dog look of disappointment. So when I found a recipe for homemade brownies in an old church cookbook, I knew I had to give it a try. After a few tweaks and variations, I came up with a brownie that we all love. It is great by itself, but it also is great for making trifles, cheesecake brownies, and cakes. I prefer to make these amazing brownies with a dark cocoa powder, as indicated in the recipe. This gives the brownie a richer flavor. Feel free to use regular cocoa powder if you prefer.

  INGREDIENTS

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

  ¼ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

  2 large eggs

  1 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¾ cup all-pur
pose flour

  ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick baking spray.

  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved. Let the mixture cool slightly.

  3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat again.

  4. Quickly whisk ¼ cup of the hot melted butter mixture into the egg mixture. This will warm the eggs up gradually, so they do not scramble. Add the rest of the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

  5. Sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix the batter.

  6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

  7. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the brownies cool before cutting them into 12 squares.

  VARIATION:

  Double-Batch Homemade Brownies