To start this post I'd like to talk about the baking experience. A good friend of mine emailed me the other day telling me of her "kitchen disasters" with a couple of recipes that she's tried off this blog. One was that the cookies went completely flat and the other was that she forgot to put the baking powder in the muffins. I laughed in sympathy because I have been there and done that. It took me years of baking and experimenting on my husband and kids before I felt confident enough to let others try my baking delights. Baking is an exact science, but it also leaves a lot of room for creativity. So if there are others out there who are experiencing your own "kitchen disasters", I encourage you to hang in there. Try making each recipe a couple of times before you give up. It's always better the second time. I still experience that. The right tools and making sure you follow the recipe exactly are key. Before you know it people will be asking you for your recipes and you will feel confident enough to put your own twist on some of these recipes. That's what I love about baking: the possibilities are endless. So keep trying because before you know it you will be able to call yourself an "experienced baker."
Recipe:
Crust: 2 cups honey graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
In a food processor, grind graham cracker crumbs to almost a powder-like consistently.
In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.
Press onto the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased, 10 inch spring form pan. (Since I wanted to make two cheesecakes out of this recipe, I used 2 aluminum disposable pie pans)Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Filling: 4 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup lemon juice (from a fresh lemon)
2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 eggs
1 pkg instant lemon pudding and pie mix
10 drops of yellow food coloring
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice, flour, extract, cream, pudding mix and food coloring, beating well after adding each ingredient. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until just combined.
Pour filling into pie crust. Return pan to baking sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set (a little giggly in the middle but not soupy).
If you are using a spring form pan: Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen crust. Cool for 1 hour longer before refrigerating overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving.
If you are using a pie plate or disposable pie tin: Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before refrigerating overnight.
DO NOT put cheesecake in the refrigerator if the pan is still hot. This will cause condensation to build on the top of the cheesecake and it will make it soggy and it will not stay fresh as long.
To decorate, I filled a piping bag with whipped cream and used a Wilton #2D tip to pipe large stars around the rim of the cheesecake and three large stars in the middle of the cheesecake. Then I sliced a lemon (very thin slices) and halved each slice and put one every 5 or 6 stars (this makes one per slice).
As I mentioned before, I made two cheesecakes from this one recipe using 2 disposable pie tins. We ate one and I put the other in the freezer. It will stay good in the freezer for 3 months so next time we are needing a dessert and I don't have time to make one, I can pull it out of the freezer and thaw and serve!
My family thought this cheesecake was delicious and a perfect way to brighten up these rainy, dreary spring days.
As always, please contact me for any questions or comments.
Happy Baking!
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