History tells us that
cheesecakes have been around since the 15th century and were originally defined
as a "cooked tart made from curd cheese, with the addition of ingredients such
as eggs, sugar, and spices." (John Ayto 'An A-Z of Food & Drink). Today cheesecakes still contain eggs and sugar but,
at least in North America, we prefer replacing the curd cheese with either
ricotta and/or cream cheese.
For this recipe I have
combined the best of both worlds, ricotta and cream cheese, to produce a
cheesecake that is both light and fluffy (from the ricotta) and wonderfully
creamy (from the cream cheese). Ricotta (means "recooked")
is a cheese made from the whey (watery residue from making other cheeses)
that is cooked to produce a mild tasting, soft, yet granular white
cheese. It is very similar to our cottage cheese. I like to use whole milk ricotta in this recipe and you will need to drain it
before adding it to the cheesecake batter. Do this by either placing the ricotta in a fine-meshed strainer or
else a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been suspended over a bowl. Cover and
place in the refrigerator to drain for several hours, or even overnight.
The most important thing
to remember when making a cheesecake is to have all the ingredients at room
temperature. Beat the cream cheese just until it is creamy and smooth (no
lumps) and then add the ricotta and sugar. You can do this in either an
electric mixer or food processor. Just make sure you scrape down the bowl often to
remove any lumps and beat at low speed to reduce the amount of air incorporated
into the batter. Too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise during
baking only to disappointedly sink once it has been removed from the oven. Another thing to remember is that
since cheesecakes are a custard it is best
to bake them in a water bath. A great piece of advise was given
by Rose Berenbaum in her book 'Cake Bible' where she says to add a little
cornstarch to prevent leakage.
Of course, there is always the question of when is a cheesecake done? For this recipe it is done when the cake has turned a light golden
brown color and the
filling has set but is still a little wobbly in the center. As with all
cheesecakes, let it cool
before covering and placing in the refrigerator. I find cheesecakes
do benefit from sitting overnight in the fridge so the flavors have time to
soften and blend. You can freeze this cheesecake for about a month by wrapping
it in
foil and placing it in a airtight bag. Defrost by placing the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight to
thaw.
Although some like their
cheesecake plain, I prefer serving it with either fresh fruit or a fruit sauce. While I am very fond of the raspberry or
strawberry sauces on the site, for the
Christmas season I like to serve this cake with a Cranberry Raspberry Sauce. This is done by cooking cranberries and raspberries with sugar, cornstarch
(thickener), and a little lemon or orange zest. This sauce
is also excellent over ice cream.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F (180 degrees C) and butter, or spray with non stick cooking spray,
a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with two
layers of heavy aluminum foil.
For Crust: In a medium sized bowl
combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the spring form pan.
Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For Filling: Place the ricotta in a fine-meshed
strainer or else a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been suspended over a
bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator to drain for several hours, or even
overnight.
In the bowl of your food
processor or electric
mixer (or with a hand mixer), place the cream cheese and beat until smooth
and free of lumps. Add the ricotta and sugar and beat until
smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the cornstarch. Add
the eggs, one at a time, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the lemon
zest, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until incorporated.
Remove the crust from the
refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the spring form pan in a large
roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about
halfway up the sides of your spring form pan.
Bake for about one hour to one
hour 15 minutes, or
until the top of the cheesecake has nicely browned and the center of the cake
moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Remove the pan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack. Cover and
refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, about 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Serve in small slices with a spoonful of Cran-Raspberry Sauce
(if desired).
Cran-Raspberry Sauce: In a large
saucepan combine all the ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring often,
until the sauce thickens and is bubbly. Remove from heat and let
cool. (Note: taste and add more sugar as needed.) Cover and store in the
refrigerator. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml).
Crust:
1 cup (100 grams)
graham wafer or digestive biscuit crumbs
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