Cuisinart Stand Mixer Blog |
April 2, 2008 | Cuisinart Original Feature
More Cheese(cake) Please!
Posted by: Jennifer Perillo
There is one recipe capable of stopping even the most avid of bakers in their tracks: cheesecake. A quick search online yields not only tons of recipes, but many disaster stories too. This is not a dessert the perfectionist should attempt since there's always the chance it will crack, even if you follow the instructions to a "T". There were few things my mom baked from scratch but the ones she did left an indelible memory and cheesecake, along with gingerbread houses worthy of starring in Hansel and Gretel productions, was one of those desserts.I remember her careful eye on the oven, followed by the fingers-crossed prayers that a large crack wouldn't ruin the hours of cooking and work she had invested. Perhaps it was for that very fear that I'd never attempted to make it myself. Soufflé? No problem. Handmade pasta? Check. The perfectionist in me was not willing to spend all that time on a cake that could come out with a fault line.
Motherhood has a way of mellowing one out, though, and I began to find beauty in things that may have otherwise seemed imperfect. It was time to get "cracking" on a cheesecake recipe I could call my own. Mom was a New York purist and made a cream cheese version for which our city is most famously known. Another type very common in the Italian enclaves of the Big Apple is a ricotta-based recipe. Unlike the denseness of the cream cheese variety, it yields an airy, delicate tasting dessert.
After researching a few techniques, I settled on separating the eggs and folding in the beaten egg whites, as opposed to adding the whole egg at once. Instinct told me it would produce a pillowy cake, and I was right. The rest is easier than making apple pie. There's no water bath required and no low and slow cooking method as with cream cheese based cakes. The chances are less likely you'll end up with a canyon in the center but don't be surprised if the edges do "crinkle" a bit. Just think of it as character, then serve yourself a slice and enjoy!
Creamy Ricotta Cheesecake
Serves 10
This cake develops a deep golden top during baking, which is what you want when making a ricotta cheesecake. It'll also rise high, then fall slightly once you take it out of the oven - like a soufflé. You can serve this once it cools to room temperature or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
CRUST
6 ounces tea biscuits
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
FILLING
2 ½ pounds ricotta cheese
6 large eggs, separated
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using the food processor attachment on your Cuisinart Stand Mixer, pulse the tea biscuit into fine crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl, add melted butter and mix until combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and ¼ to ½ -inch up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Place in refrigerator while preparing filling.
2. Add ricotta cheese, egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract to the bowl of your Cuisinart Stand Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and all ingredients are mixed well. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Clean and dry the bowl of your Cuisinart Stand Mixer. Add egg whites and beat, using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form. Stir one third of the beaten egg whites into the filling mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites in two batches.
4. Place prepared springform pan on a baking sheet (to prevent any spills from leaking onto the bottom of your oven). Slowly pour filling into the springform pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from, let cool to room temperature and serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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