Tastefully Tuesday...

Over the weekend I made a New York Cheesecake.  I had found a huge package of cream  cheese I had gotten from Sam's Club in our storage refrigerator, it was left from when we had company and the package said to use by May of 2011 so I needed to come up with something to do with 5 packs of the stuff.  Well hubby is on cloud nine and, for the next couple of days at least, I get to have super hero status.  Here is the recipe...

New York style Cheesecake

Crust **
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk

Filling and Topping
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted, if desired
Fresh or frozen fruit, if desired

** Step 1: Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 9-inch spring form pan with shortening; remove bottom. In medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients with fork until dough forms; gather into a ball. Press one-third of the dough evenly on bottom of pan. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Assemble bottom and side of pan; secure side. Press remaining dough 2 inches up side of pan.

Step 2: Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange peel, lemon peel and salt with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup whipping cream, beating on low speed until well blended. Pour into baked crust. Bake 15 minutes.

Step 3: Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake 1 hour longer. Cheesecake may not appear to be done, but if a small area in the center seems soft, it will become firm as cheesecake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on cooling rack away from drafts 30 minutes.

Step 4: Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of pan to loosen cheesecake. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

Step 5: Run metal spatula along side of pan to loosen cheesecake again. Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve. In chilled small bowl, beat 3/4 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Spread whipped cream over top of cheesecake. Decorate with almonds. Store covered in refrigerator. If you are going to use fruit add it when served.

** We prefer a graham cracker crust which actually requires no baking, I don't have an exact recipe for this since I have been making it since I was a little girl baking with my grandmother.  I just melt one stick of butter and add in about 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of almond extract, mix it all together so the crackers are moist but don't clump unless pressed together.  Press the mixture into the spring form pan while it is still clamped together.  This will eliminate the step one baking time.

$1.00 off any Arrowhead Mills Product including flour
$0.50 off Imperial Sugar
 

Today's no cook option is for Ben and Jerry's.  Today, Tuesday, April 12 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM is free cone day. Their Facebook Fan page says "Get in line as many times as you'd like to enjoy a Free Cone! The hours posted here are when most shops are open, but you should double check with your local shop to see if and when they plan on participating. It would be a major bummer to miss out!" 
 
I hope everyone is having a nice week so far!
 
C.Q.