Sunday, August 22, 2010

rainbow cheesecake

Pour your brownie batter into your springform pan and bake according to the directions...allow it to cool completely and then get to work on the cheesecake.

second, a question, you cook the brownie first, then pour the cheesecake on top of the brownie and bake again? That doesn't burn or overcook the brownie?

The moisture of the cheesecake layer keeps it pretty well protected, though it is to the point of being thoroughly done and chewy...I like my brownies to be a bit underdone and squishy, so I may cut back on the baking time for the bottom layer when I make another one.

Cheesecake:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
food coloring...lots and lots of food coloring Cheesy
(need to convert to metric?)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add in sour cream.
Divide mixture into 6 (or however many colors you'd like) small bowls and add a different color to each one.
This cheesecake contains:
http://www.mccormick.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=6034 & http://www.mccormick.com/productdetail.cfm?id=10790

My red, green, and yellow are from the standard set...my blue and purple are from the neon set...my orange is a mix of the standard yellow and the neon pink. I wanted to have the neon green but I used it all up on art projects Roll Eyes
Drizzle batters onto brownie base in the 9-inch springform pan (I kinda speckled and splattered mine in with spoons, but you could pour them in and swirl lightly if you'd like it to go quicker...don't be afraid to play with the colors!).



Bake 35 minutes, until the center is just about set when you jiggle the pan.
Allow to cool completely and refrigerate before serving.
Run a knife around the cake to release it before removing sides of pan.



It looks kinda like Play-Doh at that point, doesn't it?



Be careful when you cut it, if you don't want the colors to mix. Keep the blade clean and don't drag it, or all your edges will turn an odd purple-grey...it's a bit of extra work, but well worth it.




***15March08, cheesecake number two***

Based upon this lovely (and kinda sophisticated sounding) recipe for Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Bars.

Crust (it's like a soft vanilla cookie):
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
food coloring
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the food coloring of your choice. Mix in the salt and flour a bit at a time, until the dough is crumbly.



Press evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup half & half
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
(or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract plus 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
food coloring
1 tbsp all purpose flour

While the crust bakes, combine the sugar, half & half, and cream cheese and mix until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing in each one completely before adding the next. Stir in the extract(s) and flour...if you're doing multiple colors of filling, divide it up into bowls and add the food coloring.



Pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking, then return the pan to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set and not jiggly.
Wait until it's cool before slicing (or mostly cool, if you're impatient like me)...this is a very light and airy cheesecake, so the colors don't drag much when you cut it.



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