I think that pun occurs in every article on cheesecake history ever written. And boy, have there ever been a lot of them. I think of cheesecake history as a sort of bottomless pit, one that will take you as deep into the history of food as you care to go, according to your definition […]
READ ONReader Theresa from Bangalore, India, offer this: I have been making New York style cheesecakes for a while. And been getting extremely good feedback on the lightness of my creations. Well, my method is to use a mix of yogurt and cream. The yogurt is hung till it has absolutely no water content. Mix this […]
READ ONA few members of the professional baking comunity sent in tips about pans yesterday. Here are some representative emails. This one from reader Laura: Here is another alternative to a springform pan: disposable foil pans. They come extra deep, although I use regular depth pans because I like to make a smaller cheesecake. I use […]
READ ONThe idea of making a cheesecake with more non-cheese dairy ingredients has clearly gotten a lot of readers thinking. What about using a Mexican crema or a homemade crème fraîche instead of the store-bought cream or sour cream? Would that add a more interesting taste? Would it work? The answers are yes and yes.
READ ONOr bain marie as it’s often called by fancy foodies. I’ve written about this before, but it’s such an interesting subject I just can’t help myself. A water bath is the classic way to prevent custards from curdling (or “breaking”) because it keeps the temperature of the cooking custard at a constant low. How so? […]
READ ONReader Ben comments: I’ve never had luck with a springform pan in a water bath. Even using heavy duty aluminum foil in a couple layers, I still get seepage. I’ve gone back to just baking without the water bath. Any tips? That much cream ain’t cheap, and I’d hate to ruin another cheesecake. I hear […]
READ ONReader Mike writes in with this interesting tidbit on where the word “pretzel” may have come from: When I lived in Germany, there was a little bakery at the bottom of the hill that made fresh pretzels every day – and this being the South, they were lye pretzels. Regarding the origin of the term, […]
READ ONNope. True, more than a few cheesecake recipes call for at least a little flour or corn starch. The reason for this is twofold. First, to absorb moisture. I’ve mentioned that cream cheese is 45% fat. The other 55% is mostly water. Add in a fair amount of cream or sour cream (which also have […]
READ ONA true New York-style cheesecake has no crust. Which is not to say you can’t add one if you like, but let’s worry about that a little later on. This recipe is dense and creamy, just like a New York cheesecake is supposed to be. Note that the reason for the creaminess is not an […]
READ ONI don’t really like cream cheese. Oh I don’t mind it, but I don’t just love it like some people do. I don’t especially like its plastic, putty-like texture. I’m not especially wild about its mildly-gamey-but-otherwise-bland, almost watery, flavor. I also don’t particularly enjoy the fact that it’s rich, rich, rich — about 45% fat. […]
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