Aunt Margarets Cheesecake Recipes

MARGARET'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Prepare two 9 x 13 cake pans by greasing them.
• Mix tog graham wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar and 2/3 cups melted butter.
• Divide into the 2 pans: press crumbs into an even layer and bake at 350 degF for about 10-15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
• Beat tog cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sugar and instant pudding powder till its really fluffy.
• Set aside.
• Whip Nutri Whip until it forms soft peaks, then set this aside.
• In another bowl whip the whipping cream to stiff peaks.
• In a large bowl mix the above three mixes together really well.
• Pour this mixture onto the two baked and cooled crumb bases and chill.
• When ready to serve top with fresh fruit or pie filling.
• This cheese cake freezes well without the toppings.

MARGARITA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl until blended. Press mixture onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of 9 inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Add 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, lime juice and lime peel and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Pour filling into crust. Bake until center is softly set, about 50 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Mix remaining 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lime juice in small bowl. Pour over cheesecake. Using spatula, smooth top. Bake cheesecake 5 minutes longer. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Garnish cake with lime slices.

MARGARITA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in center. In a food processor, pulse pretzels until fine crumbs form (you will have a little more than 1 cup). Add sugar and melted butter; process until combined. Press evenly in bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until golden brown, about 9 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Wrap exterior of springform pan with a double layer of foil. Set a kettle of water to a boil. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium. Mix in sour cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, lime zest, and salt; beat until well incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Pour cream-cheese mixture over cooled crust (filling will come up higher than crust). Set springform pan in a roasting pan; carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up side of springform pan.
• Bake on center rack until cake is set and slightly firm to the touch, about 65 minutes. Transfer springform pan to a wire rack and remove foil; let cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen before unmolding. Garnish top of cheesecake with lime slices.

THE BEST NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl until evenly moistened.
• Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Cool completely on a rack. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.
• For the filling: Add the cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cream, beating until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and juice, vanilla and salt and beat just until combined, taking care not to over whip. Pour into the crust.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come about halfway up the side of the foil-wrapped springform pan.
• Bake until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned around the edges, but the center still jiggles slightly, about 2 hours.
• Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water and wipe dry before slicing each piece.

AUNT MARLENE'S CHEESECAKE WITH CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees and place oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Throughly mix ingredients for crust.
• Press them into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan (10" ok too). Do sides too if you can.
• Chill the crust about one hour or more.
• Combine eggs, cream cheese, sugar, salt, flour, vanilla extract, almond extract and beat until smooth with an electric mixer at medium speed.
• Now blend in sour cream. Don't over beat the mixture as this causes air to get into the batter and causes cracks later.
• Pour this mixture into the crust and bake, on a middle oven rack about 60 minutes, until it sets. It will lightly brown and not jiggle much when moved. (I used a cookie sheet with some water in it and I put foil around the bottom of the spring form pan). Do not open the oven within the first 30 minutes of cooking.
• Let cake cool on a wire rack at room temperature completely, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
• Invert the cake to serve, so that the crumbs are on the top. Serve like this or with the glaze on top or along side.
• For the Glaze: Cook the berries in 3/4 cup water until simmering.
• Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and pour into berry mixture and add sugar. Bring to a boil, stir constantly, until thick and clear, a couple of minutes. Add the red food coloring if using strawberries.
• Chill the glaze and coat the top of the cake or serve along side the cake.

MARGARITA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with vegetable oil spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl until blended. Press crumbs over bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate crust.
• FOR FILLING:
• Using electric mixer, beat cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sour cream, then sugar, triple sec, tequila and lime juice. Beat in eggs.
• Pour filling into crust. Bake until outside 2 inches are set and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven; turn off oven.
• FOR TOPPING:
• Whisk sour cream, lime juice and sugar in small bowl to blend. Spread evenly over cheesecake. Return cheesecake to hot oven. Let stand 45 minutes or less (Cheesecake will look very soft, but will set up when chilled.) Refrigerate cake until well chilled, up to 1 day.
• Run knife around pan sides. Remove pan sides. Place cake on platter. Arrange lime half-slices and peel around top edge of cheesecake.

CLASSIC NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Assemble a 9-by-3-inch springform pan with its bottom inverted, so the raised lip faces down. Butter pan.
• In a food processor, finely grind graham crackers. Add melted butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Press evenly into bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake until golden and set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in lemon juice and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
• Place pan in the center of a double layer of foil. Lift edges of foil up, wrapping tightly around sides of pan and folding foil under itself as needed until flush with top of pan (this will prevent moisture from seeping in). Pour filling into pan (it should come almost to top of rim); smooth top with a small offset spatula.
• Place filled pan inside a roast- ing pan and transfer to center rack of oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roast- ing pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan (this is safer than pouring it in and then transferring to the oven). Bake until cake is puffed and golden brown on top and slightly wobbly in center, 1 3/4 to 2 hours (it will continue to cook as it cools).
• Carefully remove spring-form pan from roasting pan; transfer to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes. Remove foil and run a small paring knife around sides of pan to loosen cheesecake. Let cool completely. Drape pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Unmold cake and serve.