Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg.74.

Here is an easy recipe that is quick to put together - just remember to have your cream cheese at room temperature. It is creamy smooth and the topping is very tart from the addition of sour cream. However, when combined with the lemon filling, it is quite tasty. As I've mentioned previously, the crumb recipe is time consuming so if you prefer, you can use a faster crumb recipe or even a bought one.


Crumb Crust

1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs
1 TBS. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of allspice
3 oz. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted 

Mix together the above ingredients and follow the directions for a crumb crust using a 9-inch pie plate.

Filling

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 TBS. lemon juice
3/4 cup creamed cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (large or small curd, regular or low fat)
8 oz. Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 and adjust a rack to the middle of the oven.

Mix the lemon zest and the lemon juice.

In a food processor with a metal blade, blend the cottage cheese (or ricotta) until smooth.

In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth.

Add the sugar.

Add the vanilla.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (scraping the bowl as necessary).

Add the lemon juice.

Pour into pie crust.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup whipping cream

2 TBS. granulated or powdered sugar

Chopped pistachio nuts for garnish (optional)

Combine the sugar and sour cream.

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters (I always use the whisk attachment for this), whip the whipping cream until it holds a firm shape.

Gently fold the sour cream mixture into the whipped cream.

Spread the topping over the pie.

Refrigerate for a few hours. You can garnish this with chopped pistachios or fruit but it is fine just like this!

Bullseye Cheesecake

Bullseye Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 132.


This is one of Maida Heatter's most famous recipes. The size of the pan is important - it must be a one-piece 8 x 3 pan.  

The only area where I strayed from Maida's instructions was for the crust. She says to pat the crumbs onto the cheesecake after it has baked. I have tried this before and it is messy and the crust is not as good. So, I used my basic recipe for a cheesecake crust and made it in the pan before adding the batter.

32 oz. cream cheese (Use Philadelphia brand - others do not all work the same - preferably at room temperature)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. powdered (not granular) instant coffee
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

For the crust:
About 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or crumbs made from Amaretti or any other crisp cookies (to be used after the cake has baked) (OR use this recipe instead)

Adjust a rack 1/3 from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter an 8x3 inch one-piece cheesecake pan all the way to the rim. You will also need a larger pan to make a water bath. Set aside.

Beat the cream cheese until it is soft and smooth (it should be at room temperature).

Beat in the sour cream.

Add the almond and vanilla extract.

Add the salt.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary to insure that the mixture is smooth.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and divide the mixture into 2 bowls - you will have about 3 cups each.

Add the regular sugar to one bowl...

Add the brown sugar to the other bowl.

Stir in the sugar with a rubber spatula until it has dissolved. Do the same for the other bowl as well.

To the dark mixture, add the instant coffee and the cocoa. Stir.

You will now pour the batter into the pan in 4 separate additions. Pour half of one mixture (it does not matter which you start with) into the buttered pan.

Now pour half of the other mixture in the center.
The second mixture will expand but will stop before it reaches the edge. Really cool, right?

Add the remaining portion of the first mixture you used, again right in the center.

Add the remaining portion of the last mixture. See the bullseye forming...

Carefully place the pan into the larger pan and pour in the hot water - about 1 1/2 inches deep. If you are using an aluminum pan, add 1 tsp. cream of tartar to prevent the pan from discoloring. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from the pan by inverting it on a flat board or pan. Maida's instructions for the crust require you to pat the crumbs onto the cheesecake with it upside down. To me, this is messy and too much trouble. I just pre-baked the crust and it was fine (see my introductory notes).

Polka Dot Cheesecake

Polka Dot Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 132.

Maida has a lot of cheesecake recipes and I'm surprised I'm just now getting around to making one. This one immediately caught my eye because it is so unique. As Maida says in her introduction, it is not difficult at all and your friends will be amazed. It is also very creamy and delicious!

First of all, it is recommended that you use a round cheesecake pan measuring 8 x 3 inches. I only have a 9" springform pan so I used that. I think the polka-dot effect would be more noticeable if I had used the smaller pan (and the cake would have been taller).

Also a note about the crust. The recipe calls for you to make the cake without the crust and apply the graham cracker crumbs with your hand after the cake has finished baking. This sounds like a huge kitchen mess waiting to happen so I made the traditional cheesecake crust that I normally do (see below). Aside from the crust, I followed the recipe exactly. 

The Crust:
Forgive me Maida for not following your directions for the crust but I wasn't going to attempt inverting the cake and then applying the crumbs by hand to the bottom of the cake. Instead I relied on the graham cracker crust I always use. Combine 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 stick of melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Place the crumb mixture in the baking pan and press it firmly on the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Ingredients:

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 lbs. cream cheese, softened (use Philadelphia brand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs

Adjust oven rack to lowest position in the oven and preheat to 350. Butter an 8x3 cheesecake pan (or springform pan) all the way up the rim. A larger pan will be also be needed for the water bath as the cake is baking. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water on low heat. Set aside.

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until it is completely smooth, scraping the sides occasionally. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the sugar. Beat well and then add the eggs one at a time. After adding the eggs, do not beat any more than necessary to mix.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and place 2 cups of the mixture in a separate bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix well (you can use a hand mixer for this).

Spray the buttered cake pan with nonstick spray and pour in the light-colored mixture (not the chocolate mixture).

Place the chocolate mixture in a large pastry bag (or you can use a decorator press like I did). Place the tip of the tube in the center of the cake (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in) and squeeze out some of the chocolate mixture (about the size of a golf ball).

Now, using the same procedure as above, add more dots around the edges. (To do evenly, first add a ball of chocolate to the 12:00 position, then the 6:00 position, 3:00, 9:00, etc.) The dots around the edges should be smaller than the center one).

The top of the cake will not be smooth and level but it will level during baking. 

If using a springform pan, wrap it in foil. Set the pan inside the larger pan and add hot water about 1 - 1 1/2 inches high. Bake for 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes).

After baking, the top of the cake will be golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 2 1/2 hours. After cooling completely, refrigerate for several hours or overnight. To serve, run hot water over a sharp knife and make your cuts through the center of the dots.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 381.

Very easy to make and very delicious, especially if you love chocolate. It has to be refrigerated for a few hours or preferably overnight to set up. I didn't have any luck getting it to slice attractively so I did not get a "serving shot". 

Crust

1 1/4 cups graham crumbs
1 TBS sugar
3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 350. Mix the crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a large bowl (you can use a fork or spoon to do the mixing). Turn into a 9-inch pie plate. Use your fingertips to spread the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, then chill.

Filling
3 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Melt both chocolates in the top of a double boiler over warm water over moderate heat. I have found this is the best method for melting chocolate. I've never had success melting it in the microwave. I first bring the water to a boil (before putting the pan of chocolate over it) and then lower the heat to the lowest setting. I then place the pan of chocolate in place and let it melt slowly. After it has melted, set is aside to cool.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. If the cream cheese is still cold, this is not easily done. It is best to let the cream cheese sit at room temperature in advance. If you forget to do that (or decide to bake at the spur of the moment - this happens to me quite a lot!), you can soften it by using the microwave. However, do this carefully and by small increments of time. You don't want runny cream cheese!

Add the salt, sugar and vanilla, and mix well. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the chocolate, mixing well.

Turn the mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

You can serve the pie as is or you can add this topping (I didn't do this):

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS confectioners sugar
2 bananas

In a small chilled bowl with chilled beaters whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar until the cream holds a shape. Place eight large spoonfuls of the cream around the edge of the pie.
Just before serving, slice the bananas on a sharp angle forming eight long slices. Place one slice of banana standing on its edge in each mound of whipped cream.