Good idea. I think I might make a Cheesecake for Easter. One of these.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Praline Cheesecake
==================
(Toronto Star Newspaper: 1981)

1-1/4 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans toasted
1/4 cup butter melted
3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk NOte: I used coffee cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup pecan halves toasted.

Caramel Sauce topping

1 cup corn syrup - dark
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
. Combine graham crackers, sugar, pecans and stir in melted butter.
Press mixture over the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9" inch
spring pan.

Bake at 350�F for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, flour and
vanilla. Add eggs and beat until just blended. pour into crust. Bake
50 to 55 minutes or until set.

Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Loosen sides and remove rim. Cool
completely. Arrange toasted pecans on top of cake decoratively.

Make Topping by combining corn syrup, cornstarch and brown sugar in a
small saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and
add vanilla.

To serve cake, Pour sauce over top and serve remaining sauce in a
pitcher at the table.

NOTE: I baked the cake in a Baine Marie. I wrapped foil around the
outside of the springform pan to prevent any water from seeping in to
the cake.

Nnte: I use my regular caramel sauce instead of the one mentioned
above:

Caramel Sauce

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes.

Serve over Bread and butter pudding, apple pie and ice cream, warm
gingerbread, etc..

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

White Chocolate Cheesecake
==========================

Crust

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix together and pat into bottom of a spring form pan lined with Buttered parchment paper. Bake at 350�F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool

Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (24 oz. total)
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces melted quality white chocolate

Reset oven temperature to 325�F (160�C).

Melt white chocolate with heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth.Add the melted chocolate cream mixture. Stir until smooth.

Pour plain batter over crust.

Wrap foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Place in a shallow pan and pour in hot water. (Bain Marie)

7 Bake in preheated 325�F (160�C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until center is almost set.Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 or 5 hours.

DRizzle with white chocolate and or Dulce de Leche.

I'm sorry. Easter this year is April 24. So, so late!

What are you sorry for Beachlily?

Easter really is late this year. But heck I've seen American Thanksgiving threads started in September.

Ann

Found the Italian Easter Cheesecake recipe.
There are many other versions.

How many of you bake Cheesecakes for Easter ???

Lou?s - Creamy Italian Cheese Cake

Ingredients:
15 Oz. Container of Sargentos Ricotta Cheese (Velvety Smooth )
8 Oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese ( room temperature )
6 X large eggs ( Separated )
1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream, Softened. ( Or Cream )
One half cup of Milk
One half cup of Orange juice
1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon of Vanilla
4 tablespoons of Softened Butter
1 cup of Sugar + 3 tablespoons
1 heaping teaspoon of Orange Zest

4 tablespoons of AP flour
1 tablespoon of Cornstarch
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Beat egg whites, with 3 Tablespoons of sugar, until stiff peaks.
Put aside until the batter is mixed.

Place all the other ingredients , ( except the flour and cornstarch )
In a bowl large enough to hold beaten egg whites.
Beat until smooth ( about 3 minutes )
Add the flour. Beat another minute.
Add the Cornstarch beat 1 minute.
Fold in the Beaten Egg Whites
Pour into a 9 1/2 inch Spring Form Pan lined with a Graham Cracker Crust.
Wrap the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 inch, with Aluminum Foil
Bake on an upper oven shelf of a 350 Degree oven for about 1 hour,
Or until the top is a Golden Tan. Leave it in the oven until it cools down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Graham Cracker Crust:
Put 18 Crackers in a one Quart Zip lock bag and crumble with a rolling pin,
Place in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of Sugar and 5 Tblspns of melted Butter.
Mix , place in the Bottom of the Spring Form and up the sides one & one & quarter Inches. Flatten evenly.
Bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes until firm.

Springform Pan tip: Flip the bottom over so the recess in facing down.
You will be able to get the Cake out easier.

Lou, does it matter what kind of ice cream? I assume vanilla, but is it okay to use stuff with (or without) the thickeners?

oooo I should not be looking at cheesecake!

Wow, those cheesecakes look wonderful! I wish I had a slice for breakfast!

Karen

I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, it's one of those things that I could take or leave and not get excited either way. Elery loves the stuff, though, and so does Amanda, she'd really love that dulce de leche version.

So maybe that, some cookies or cupcakes for the grandkids and a blueberry crisp for David and me!

Arlene, you've lost me too, nothing I can see to be sorry for. I guess I need to start planning the Easter menu, I dn't even know what we're going to have, and I think Elery has to work.

Annie

Sooo....the "Italian Cheese" cake is exactly the same as the fluffy cheesecake with the addition of a pound of ricotta.

I often make cheese cake for Easter.....and serve it with a choice of lemon curd and fresh strawberries.
The cheesecake I make is a very traditional New York style cheese! Dense, cheesy....delicious! Like you find at high end restaurants....

Secret Lindy's-Style New York Cheesecake

Cookie Pastry Crust
1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with electric mixer on
medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins.
Add the egg and flour and mix until a smooth dough is formed.
With your hands, shape it into a ball and flatten it into a disc.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it's firm.
Remove the sides from the springform pan and press one third of
the pastry evenly over the bottom.
Place on baking sheet and bake in 400F oven for 6 mins. or until golden.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Increase oven temperature to 500F.
Butter the sides of the springform pan and attach it to the bottom.
Press the remaining pastry about two thirds up the sides.

Filling

5 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 c. sugar

3 T. flour
2 t. lemon peel
1 1/2 t. orange peel
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. vanilla
5 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 c. sour cream

Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed
until smooth and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Gradually add the sugar, flour, lemon and orange peel, salt and vanilla, beating constantly.
Add eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each egg.
Scrape the bowl one or two more times.
Add in the sour cream; the mixture will be thin.
Pour it into the pastry-lined springform pan.

Put it together

Place the pan on a baking sheet.
Bake it in the oven at 500F for 8 mins. or until the top is golden.
Reduce the oven temperature to 200F (don't open the oven!) and continue to bake it
for 1 hour or until the center jiggles slightly.
When finished cooking, shut off the open, prop the door open,
and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for about 3 or 4 hrs.
Once it's finished cooling, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it several hours or overnight.

Serve it up!

Remove the sides of the springform pan.
Now you can add whatever glaze, ganache, or other spread you desire over the top of the cheesecake.
Keep it refrigerated until serving time!

That plain cheesecake looks absolutely scrumptious!
Save me a piece without any topping, please!
That's how I prefer it,
with nothing to detract from the goodness of the cake itself.

Here's my recipe contribution.
It comes from an Italian family.
It's quite similar to your recipe, Lou,
So I know yours is as good as it looks.

Cheese Cake

1 lb Ricotta cheese
2 8oz packages cream cheese
2 cups of sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter (cooled)
8 tsp flour
3 tsp corn starch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar

Crust
1 cup gram crackers crushed
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter
9" or 10" spring form pan (line bottom with parchment paper)
Mix ingredients together spread around bottom of spring form pan (use flat measuring cup to press flat)

Cream ricotta and cream cheese
Add sugar slowly
Add 1 egg at a time, beat well, and add flour, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon
Fold in butter and sour cream

Bake in 350 deg oven for 1 hour, turn off oven, open oven door slightly and let cool in oven for 1 hour
Refrigerate
Enjoy!

Rusty

At 16.4%, Connecticut has more residents claiming to be of Italian origin per capita than any other state in the nation edging out Rhode Island as of the 2000 census. There are also many either from NYC or that currently have second homes in the state. So, we have lots of cheesecake in Connecticut...both "NYC-style" & "Italian-style". Yes Linda, the difference seems to be the ricotta. "NYC-style" is made with just Philly cream cheese and the "Italian-style" has the addition of ricotta making it lighter & "fluffy". Both types are served in "fine restaurants". It's much like chowders. Depending on where you are in the state you can enjoy Manhattan chowder, Rhode Island clear clam chowder, and/or New England clam chowder.

My recipe is from my 1970s red plaid BH&G's cookbook & is just like Lindac's. It's a very good recipe, IMO, dense but still creamy & moist if served at room temperature. I like mine plain - no topping.

In NYC, my favorite cheesecake is Junior's. Junior's has a restaurant in Foxwoods, a 15 minute drive, so it's not really worth the effort to make one at home anymore.

Instead of Easter, my DH's birthday is in April so that's when we have our annual cheesecake since it's his favorite.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Highest number of Italians

Cheesecake or carrot cake will be on my Eater menu, just haven't decided which.

Personally I don't care for flavoured cheesecakes. This is my favourite cheesecake recipe. It is very much a New York style cheesecake, crumbly but creamy. Wish I had a pic because it's pretty too!

Cheesecake Supreme

1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter,melted
40 oz cream cheese,5 8 oz packages
1 3/4 c sugar
3 T flour
1 T lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 c whipping cream
Fruit and glaze

[Note: Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cooking]
Mix graham cracker crumbs sugar and melted butter. Butter a 10 inch
spring form pan. Press crumb mix into the bottom of the pan. Let the
remaining ingredients except cream come to room temp. Beat cheese
until fluffy. Mix sugar and flour together and gradually mix into the
cheese, beating mixture smooth. Mix in grated rinds. Add eggs and egg
yolks one at a time beating well after each. Stir in cream. Pour over
crust.

Cook in preheated 500 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200
and cook for 1 hour ( NOTE: I always seem to have to cook it longer
than this to get it to set properly, usually 1 1/2 hours) Remove from
oven, place on rack away from drafts and cool. When cool refrigerate in
pan until cold. Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Top with
fruit and glaze and refrigerate until serving time.

Note to self: Next time try 475 then 225 see if cooks faster.

Fruit and Glaze.

Arrange 4 or 5 canned apricot halves around centre of cake(reserve
juice). Circle the apricots with canned pineapple wedges, (4 rings
quartered) reserve juice. Alternate fresh strawberry halves and green
grapes to form outer circle. Mound about 1/3 cup blueberries in the
very centre , inside the ring of apricots.

To make glaze combine the apricot and pineapple syrups to make 3/4 of a
cup. Add 1 TBSP of lemon juice. Combine 1 TBSP cornstarch with 2 TBSP
cold water. Add to juices and cook stirring until thickened. Add a drop
of yellow food colouring if desired. Spoon over fruit.

Fori:
I use Vanilla Ice Cream as a substitute for Cream.

Mainly, because I always have it on hand and do not use Cream.

I caught some flack , a while back, about using ice cream, in my cheesecake.
but apparently the CF member did not know it could be used as a Substitute.

Rusty:
Thanks for your Positive input and your recipe. It is very similar.

Chase :
I have made your recipe many times.It is very good.

My family and many people in West Philly ( Overbrook )loved the Pineapple Cheesecake from Haverford Bakery.
You had to be there early Sunday morn, if you wanted one.
After the owner passed away, they closed.

I was on a Quest for about 6 months; a few years ago, to duplicate it and I did.
So now I make the Fluffy Cheesecake and the Italian CheeseCake. My family is happy with this.

LakeMayor- Karen:

If you are hinting for a Cheesecake, I do not think it would work in the mail.
But when you come out again, I will bake you one.

Funny, no one picked up on the 6 heaping Tablespoons of Orange Juice, in the recipe.
LOU

Lou,

Thanks for the recipes. I was just about to do a rearch here to find them.

I need the recipes to show a friend of mine.

dcarch

We just figured you were baking in low gravity, Lou.

I prefer my cheesecake toppings next to my cheesecake--I like it pure, but I don't want to miss out on TOPPINGS!

Fori:
That is what we do , most of the time.

Plain Cheesecake , with 3 different toppings , to spoon over. Pinapple , Strawberry and Peach.

Sometimes Preserves.

DC:
Glad I was of help to you. Hope you find a good recipe.

LOU

We love cheesecake, but don't make very often.
With just Leland and myself at home now it just to much.
If I do make one, no topping and I'll freeze it in portions to eat later.
The last one I made had jalapenos in it; it had a little kick.
All of your cakes look yummy.

Linda

Fori:
What is baking in low gravity ???
I am at 1300 feet above Sea level, if that will help.

Or are you refering to my belly. That has been on low gravity for a few years now.
LOU