Cheesecake

This is the cheesecake recipe I grew up with.  My Mom made it often.  My Dad always requested it for his birthday or Father's Day.  It has a yummy sour cream topping on top.  So delicious!

Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4-1/3 cup butter

Pat into sides and bottom of spring form pan.

Filling:
3 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat until smooth.  Pour into crust and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until set.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Turn oven up to 450 degrees.

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth.  Pour over filling.  Bake another 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Cool and refrigerate for half a day at least.

*Also makes 36 cupcakes.  Use 1 vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake liner for "crust".  Bake filling for 15 minutes at 375 F.  Then add sour cream topping and bake 3-5 minutes at 450 F.

Ginger Cheesecake Dessert

We made this for Tory's work Christmas party.  If you like gingerbread and cheesecake then I'm sure you'll love this!  Not sure if the gingerbread cookie mix is available year-round or not but you could always use your own gingerbread cookie recipe if you really wanted to make it.

Ginger Cheesecake Dessert

1 pouch Betty Crocker® gingerbread cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon water

1 egg

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, water and egg until soft dough forms.

Make 5 cookies by shaping dough into 5 (1-inch) balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Meanwhile, press remaining dough in pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat milk, cream cheese and lemon juice with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cookie base.

Crumble 5 baked cookies; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.

Creamy Strawberry-Lemon Squares

I found this recipe in a magazine 5 years ago or so. It's become our traditional Easter dessert. I love the three layers with the pastel colors and the fresh, light, fruity flavors. Perfect for Spring! It uses the Strawberry Cool Whip (seasonal flavor) for the top layer. If you can't find any then just put a drop of red food coloring in regular Cool Whip to make the pink layer. (Just wouldn't be the same without it!) The recipe is for a 9x13 size pan but I often half it and make it in a square pan. This year I went even further and cheated on the crust. I just used a store bought graham cracker pie crust. The half recipe fit perfect! I might have to remember that little shortcut!

Creamy Strawberry-Lemon Squares

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 21 squares)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (very important!)
3 cups cold milk, divided
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Strawberry Whipped Topping (seasonal flavor), thawed

MIX graham crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and butter until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan to form crust. Set aside. (I put mine in the freezer for 10 minutes and it makes it a little easier to spread the cream cheese layer on top.)

BEAT cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of milk in a medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Spread over crust.

POUR remaining 2 3/4 cups milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour over cream cheese layer in pan. Let stand 5 minutes or until thickened. Cover with whipped topping. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 24 squares to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tory made this for my birthday this year. It was nice and easy and we just happened to have all of the necessary ingredients. The only thing we were missing was the whipped topping on top! We also used cheesecake flavored pudding instead of vanilla because that's all we had. This is a no-bake recipe which makes it perfect for a cool summer dessert. Enjoy!

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake


1 graham cracker pie crust
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (we used the 1/3 less fat-Neufchatel cream cheese)
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves


-Beat cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
-Fold in 1/2 of whipped topping. Spread into crust.
-Mix remaining milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes, and spices 2 min. Mixture will be thick.
-Spread over cream cheese layer.
-Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving.

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

Here's one more special cake you could make for Father's Day. My husband, Tory, actually made this for me for my birthday a couple years ago. He found it online. Apparently it's from a restaurant called Zoom in Park City, Utah. At the restaurant, this is served with roasted pears. The cake needs time to set up in the refrigerator overnight, so begin making it at least one day ahead. It's a little time consuming but you won't be disappointed!



Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

Gingersnap crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies (about 7 1/4 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Cheesecake
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel topping
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 1.4-ounce English toffee candy bars (such as Heath or Skor), chopped

PREPARATION:

For gingersnap crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Stir ground cookies, butter, and sugar in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Press cookie mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Bake crust until firm and beginning to darken, about 14 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.

For cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake uncovered until filling is puffed around edges and moves slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Place hot cheesecake uncovered in refrigerator overnight.

For caramel topping:
Stir sugar, water, and lemon juice in large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until mixture turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes.

Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow caramel to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with chopped English toffee. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Makes 10 to 12 servings.


**When Tory made this he made it in the morning and we ate it in the evening so much of the refrigeration time was cut. He also removed the pan sides before he put the caramel on so it would run down the sides. (That's the way he wanted it!) Either way would be just as delicious I'm sure!