Marja Leenas Finnish Cheesecake Recipes

MARJA-LEENA'S FINNISH CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1 egg until well blended. Beat in flour and baking powder. Chill crust mixture for 30 minutes.
• Spread crust mixture into the greased pie plate.
• Combine cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup melted butter, almonds, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour over crust in the pie plate.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 40 minutes.

VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and lightly butter a 10 inch springform pan.
• Place the sandwich cookies into a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and mix with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan, and set aside.
• Place the softened cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for about 3 minutes on Medium speed, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the scraped seeds of 2 vanilla beans, the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream, and beat on Medium-High speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is blended and smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the cookie crumb crust, leaving about 2 inches of space from the top of the pan for the cake to expand as it bakes.
• Place a baking dish onto the bottom rack of the preheated oven, and fill it halfway with boiling water. Place the cheesecake onto the middle rack, above the pan of boiling water, and bake until a small knife inserted into the middle of the cheesecake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

BRULEED VANILLA-BEAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse crackers with granulated sugar and salt until finely ground. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Add butter; pulse until combined. Transfer to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom; firmly press into bottom and up sides. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until crust is dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Filling: Place cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla seeds, and salt in cleaned food processor; blend just until smooth. Fill crust with cheesecake mixture. Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, place 2 tablespoons superfine sugar in a sieve and evenly sift over top of cheesecake (avoiding crust). Move a small kitchen blowtorch back and forth across sugar until caramelized (aiming torch toward center to avoid burning crust). Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, making a second caramelized layer. Top with spun sugar and serve, slicing through spun sugar and cake with a sharp knife, and wiping blade between slices.

DONNA'S FAMOUS CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and the butter or margarine with your hands. Flatten out crust on the bottom of the springform pan.
• In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined well. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and continue to beat. Mix until very smooth, and pour mixture into the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs over the top of the batter.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand and cool. Refrigerate to chill.