Lou's Cheesecake - Light and Fluffy Ingredients: 6 eggs- Separated 2 Packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese ( 16 0zs. ) 1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream 1 ¼ cups of Sugar 1 stick of Butter = ¼ lb. ( softened ) 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice 6 tablespoons of Orange Juice and grate fine, the (rind)skin of 1 orange 1 teaspoon of Vanilla flavor 2 heaping Tablespoons of Flour ¼ cup of Cornstarch Add into a large bowl, 6 egg yolks, cream cheese, ¾ cup of sugar, Vanilla Ice Cream, Lemon Juice, Orange juice, Grated orange skin, Butter, Vanilla and Flour. Beat until creamy smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes, with a hand mixer. In another bowl, beat the egg whites ; with clean beaters, until they hold soft peaks and then add remaining ½ cup of Sugar, one tablespoon at a time, at Medium speed, for 1 minute. Increase the speed for 2 to 3 minutes ,or until whites hold stiff peaks. add this to the cheese Batter 1/3 at a time, folding easily but thoroughly. I oiled a 9 in. x 12 in. SS pan and dusted it with flour, or you can use your favorite pie shell mix, poured the batter into it and leveled it slightly by shaking. I placed this SS pan into a slightly larger pan, filled with water about ¾ inches deep. This was put into the 325 Deg. preheated oven , on the middle shelf and baked about 55 to 60 minutes or until the top is a light Golden light Tan. Turn off the oven but leave the cake in until it cools down a little. It will settle and be slightly recessed upon cooling. When cool, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour. Cover the top with a fruit pie mix or Strawberry or Cherry preserves Cut the large pieces of fruit smaller. Can be refrigerated for at least 3 days.

I'm a bit of a purest on cheesecake and have developed over 40 recipies for them, as well as won amateur chef of the world (ok washington state) gad many many years ago for my pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I only tell you this because I want you to know that if it exists and the word cheese and cake were in the title I tried it. Keep it basic :) Don't bake a cheesecake with anything else in the oven. Keep it centered in your oven. If you live in a dry climate put a cake pan on the shelf below half filled with water and cook your cheese cake as usual on the shelf above it. The moisture is much like a professional steam oven used to bake cheesecakes and helps with cracking. Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest for a slow cool on the counter. Don't throw it in the fridge right away because it will crack. The more eggs in the recipe the more likely it will crack...no biggie, cracks taste fine, learn to garnish well :oP When you make the cake, add the eggs one at a time at the end of your recipe mixing well between each egg. Don't whip them at high spead during this process. It will help your cake turn out lovely and not crack. It's all about the cracking can't you tell? For ease in getting the cake out of a spring form I often line the base of a springform with bakers paper (rip a square off, stick it on the base, put the spring form on top, then the crust...if you want it pretty you can trim it before putting the crust in but I always remove it prior to serving). To remove the cake (and ensure no cracks LOL) run a very sharp and thin knife around the inside edge of the pan before losening up the springform. Keep the blade towards the pan just a bit so you don't cut into your cake. Gently does it. To cut, have a cup of hot hot water nearby. Use a large cutting knife and slice the cake at the half way point. Slide the knife directly in, point at center and then with your fingers at the knife blade at the tail end of the piece, slide the knife directly out towards you. wipe the cake that might come off on a paper towel and rinse knife with hot water, then cut directly across from that area to cut the cake in half, rinse and repeat than pat dry your hair with a to...wait I got mixed up.... If you cake cracks (after all I've told you it shouldn't) learn the joy of slivered almonds which look lovely sprinkled over the top of a cake....hiding the cracks. Big split in the center? Edible flowers are lovely and look planned. Oh and do put it in the fridge when cooled to room temperature but do not cover with plastic or you'll end up ripping the top off when you remove it. If you do this, resort to slivered almonds...they go with almost any flavor.... Water baths and crock pots....too much work :) I used to sell 30 cakes a week to local restaurants....nary a water bath in sight LOL But i'm a lazy cook so that could be part of it :) Remember, in life avoid crack....both personally and in your desert products! (It's harder to fix a crack addict with silvered almonds than it is a cheesecake....)

Tia, This might be worth considering for your French cheesecake. Clearly given the ingredients it would be very smooth and deeply rich. Of course the crust could be deleted; perhaps that's what the bakery did. French Cheesecake Servings: 16 Categories: Cheesecakes / Desserts Ingredients: -----CRUST----- 1 1/2 cups Unbleached flour, sifted 1 large Egg, separated, yolk lightly beaten 1/4 cup Sugar, granulated, up to 1/3 to taste 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, sweet cream, softened, no margarine -----CHEESECAKE----- 1 pound Cream Cheese 1/2 pound Cheese, Soft Double Creme French Cheese (see notes) 1/3 cup Sugar, granulated 1 tablespoon Unbleached Flour 4 large Eggs, separated 1/4 cup Sour Cream 1/4 cup Heavy Cream 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 tablespoon Confectioner's Sugar Directions: 1. Crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Working on a large flat surface, such as a pastry board, place the flour and the sugar in the center of the surface and mix together. Form a small depression or well in the center of the mound. Add the beaten egg yolk and the softened butter to the well, ten blend these with the dry mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly using your hands -- there's no substitute for warm hands. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. You should have a circle of about 11 inches in diameter. For best results, roll out your dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, then peel away the paper and cut the crust in a 9-inch circle. Place the circle inside a 9-inch springform pan. Prick the crust several times with a fork to keep the crust from puffing up during the baking. Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Allow to cool. Using the leftover dough, line the sides of the springform pan. 2. Press the dough against the sides of the pan, smoothing it so as to have a continuous layer of crust all the way around the sides of the pan. Make sure that the side crust meets the bottom crust all the way around. Brush the reserved egg white onto the shell, covering the bottom and sides. This will seal the dough and keep it from becoming soggy. Set aside until ready to use. 3. Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the double creme, then add the sugar and flour and beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in the egg yolks, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is firm. Cool to room temperature, then chill before serving. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: French Cheesecake

I really didn't want to venture out for fresh berries either, so I am thinking about using frozen mango in a simple syrup for my cheesecake topping. It's the first time I bought frozen mango, so I can't vouch for the idea. I'm planning on doing a practice batch tomorrow, so I'll still have time to get berries if it's a fail. I have a bag of Mango in the freezer, and here's a recipe. I have one fresh mango to dice and add to the puree before serving. I would serve this on the side: 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup water 2 large mangoes, peeled and sliced Combine sugar, lime juice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil just long enough to dissolve sugar, then place in a blender with mango and puree. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I've also attached a link to recipe that is pureed until smooth, and goes on the cheesecake like a glaze. If it's an epic fail, it will be me and a bowl of vanilla ice cream with mango topping for a 2am snack. Thanks for the cheesecake recipe, it looks wonderful! Here is a link that might be useful: Mango Glaze