Serendipitys Creme De La Creme Cheesecake Recipes

SERENDIPITY'S CREME DE LA CREME CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°.
• In a food processor, combine walnuts, butter and flour until smooth. Press lightly with your fingers into bottom of a 10" springform pan.
• In a large bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth. Do not overmix.
• Slowly add vanilla and eggs; mix.
• Add lemon juice and sour cream; mix just until batter is homogeneous.
• Scrape batter into springform pan, tapping lightly on counter to get rid of air bubbles. Bake on middle rack of oven for 2 hours until all but the center is set. Remove from oven and immediately run a spatula around the edge of the pan to release cake from pan.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Remove springform ring. Store covered in refrigerator.

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• To make the crust: In a food processor grind the walnuts and sugar together. Stir in the melted butter, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 days. Using your fingers pack 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture into small rings or collars 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 2 inches high. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding filling.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• To make the filling: In an electric mixer, with a whip attachment cream the cream cheese. Mix in the remaining ingredients in order. Pour into baked crust lined collars filling to about 3/8 inch from the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until slightly puffed and barely shimmying in the center. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes if puffed to make room for the creme fraiche topping.
• To make the topping: Blend all ingredients and place 1 tablespoon on top of the each mini cheesecake. With a small off-set spatula or a teaspoon, ease the topping to coat evenly. It will level itself out during baking. Bake at 300 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, warm the rings and slip the cheesecakes out of them.

HOMEMADE DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Classic menthod:
• Stir together 4 cups milk, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. (After about an hour, stir more often as milk caramelizes, to avoid burning.) Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• Sweetened condensed milk method:
• Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Pour the contents of 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil. Set plate in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up pie plate. Bake milk in middle of oven 45 minutes. Check water level and add additional, if necessary, then continue to bake 45 minutes more, or until milk is thick and brown. Remove pie plate from water bath and cool, uncovered. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

CREME DE MENTHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300F; have ready an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the two crust ingredients; mix well.
• Press in the bottom and up the sides of the pan; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until it is fluffy; slowly beat in sugar, beating until smooth.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in the cream and liqueur until well blended, then pour into the crust-lined springform pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until the edges are set, but the centre jiggles ever so slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
• Turn oven off and leave the oven door open at least four inches; let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the centre now appears set.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack on your counter for one hour, or until completely cooled.
• Cover, then refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.
• Just before serving, carefully run a table knife around the edges of the crust to loosen, then carefully remove the sides of the pan.
• If desired, garnish individual servings with whipped cream and a crumbled or chopped chocolate mint (the kind that has the green stripe).