Strawberry cheesecake

Everyone loves cheesecake. I challenge you to find someone who doesn't. Some may politely take a bite out of my sticky toffee pudding and push it aside, explaining it is too sweet, too heavy; or protest through a mouthful of Bahama Mama rum cake that they can only have one bite; or observe the bowl of cherry chocolate trifle from afar; but any time I make cheesecake, the platter is wiped clean.

Maybe it is the smooth creamy vanilla texture that melts on your tongue. Or maybe the ripe fruits glistening atop the cake are too much to resist.

For me, the buttery graham cookie crust is irresistible. In any case, I have tried dozens of cheesecake recipes over the year. In fact, cheesecake was one of my standbys as a child (yes, when I was under 13).

But it was only until I followed the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for raspberry cheesecake that I was able to avoid the unfortunate cracking on top of the cheesecake when you haven't cooled it properly.

I'll be honest: This recipe will take you hours. But it's worth it. And it's not like you're peering into the oven the whole time. So pop in a movie, turn on your timer, and be patient.

Substitutions:
Raspberries weren't in season so I substituted strawberries instead.

Would I make this again?
Without a doubt. In fact, this is not my first time making this cheesecake but perhaps next time I will try the raspberries. If you can, pay close attention to the temperature in your oven with a thermometer, otherwise the graham cookie crust will burn, and the cheesecake will harden too quickly. You're aiming for a smooth creamy texture rather than a dry crust on top.

Grade:
Five stars out of five. As you may know from following my blog, I often dock marks depending on how easy the recipe is. It's not to say this recipe is difficult, but it will require great attention and patience to get the temperatures of the ingredients and the oven correct.

Festive cheesecake pops

These were my contribution to the holiday potluck at my workplace and they were well-received. As one of my co-workers put it, anything on a stick is good. Indeed.
I flagged this recipe for cheesecake pops just about as soon as I cracked open the cookbook "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey," by Jill O'Connor. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, this book is just dreamy. It makes me want to want to roll around in flour and dark brown sugar until I finish every single recipe in the book.

Recipe adapted from "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey"
Ingredients:

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionery coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 170C/325F

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on a low speed, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (still on a low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

3. Lightly grease a 10-inch cake tin (not a springform pan). Pour the cheesecake batter into the cake pan and place in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top - 35 to 45 minutes.

4. Remove the cheesecake from the waterbath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

5. When cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the pops, uncovered, until very hard - at least 1 to 2 hours.

6. When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate coating. Place the chocolate wafers in a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. (Or just melt some chocolate in a bowl over some boiling water.)

7. Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop into the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completly. Hold the pop over the melted chocolate and shake off any excess. Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined tray to set. Repeat with the remaining pops, melting more chocolate if needed.

Refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or until ready to serve.

My substitutions:The only way I strayed from the recipe is in the sprinkles I used for decor - I used festive red-and-green poinsettia sprinkles, bright red sanding sugar, sweetened flaked coconut, and white snowflake sprinkles.

Would I make this again?
These would make a lovely hostess gift and add a bright dash of colour to any sweet table. Already I'm planning the next batch, this time only with white chocolate and pastel coloured confetti sprinkles. While I read that some other food bloggers halved the recipe because they ended up making too many cheesecake pops, I did indeed end up with between 30-40 pops, so the recipe was accurate for me. However, I wish I had bought more chocolate. I bought about one-and-a-half pounds, which was more than the recipe called for, but I used every last drop and became increasingly nervous as it began to run out.

Grade:
Four stars out of five. While these are delicious and pretty, they are also time-consuming. I started two nights before actually serving them. On the first night I made the cheesecake then put it in the refrigerator. On the second night, I scooped out the cheesecake balls, froze them for a couple of hours and then decorated them. Unless you're a veritable Betty Crocker who stays at home, most of us can't finish it in one go.

Caramel pecan cheesecake bars

This recipe is courtesy of Kraft Kitchens, I've made it time and time again when I'm in a bind for time and I've promised to bring dessert.

It's ideal for buffet-style parties, like baby showers and Christmas pot-luck dinners, because guests can grab the bars and eat them over a napkin.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups graham crumbs
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (250 g each) brick cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil. Mix graham crumbs, 1/2 cup of the pecans and the butter. Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Lift bars from pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Drizzle with topping; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Let stand until topping is set.

My substitutions:

The sky is the limit here, why not try chopped hazelnuts and chocolate sauce instead of the pecans and caramels? Why not Smarties or M&Ms for a kids' birthday party? Or even three raspberries per cheesecake bar.
If you do take my advice on one thing, and one thing only, use the pure vanilla extract and not the artificial stuff. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is my favourite.
And if you remember to do a second thing, let the cheesecake sit in the oven for a while before taking it out, and letting it cool properly. This helps to avoid cracking.



Grade:

Four stars out of five. This recipe is heavy in fat and sugar content, so it can be heavy for some with more genteel tasetes. While these cheesecake bars are a surefire hit, some of the baking shortcuts make for cracking cheescake. If you want to do it the right way, you should bake it in a water bath. The good news is, if you're still hard-pressed for time, you can still take the shortcuts and hide all the flaws with copious amounts of caramel sauce and pecans.