OH NO! That's a bummer! It could have been OK frozen...maybe...but since it's in the trash, it's too late to try. Yeah, I had wanted an IP but all the horror stories, I think I'll just keep cooking like I have for 40 plus years.

And yes, I know, it's like a miracle appliance that can do everything. Except it can't..

And that is the truth in a nutshell. It can't do everything. I know that people make cheesecakes in their IPs but they have to be somehow different from cheesecake cooked in the oven (I'll never know because I am not going to try another one!) I thought about the possibility of freezing it but as soon as I took it out of the springform pan the whole cake kind of collapsed on the countertop. Way too moist. More like a pudding than cheesecake. In any event, I am glad I tried because I'd rather have a failure making a random cake for myself than have a failure when expecting company to arrive.

I blame the berries! I have made several cheesecakes in the IP and no fails. I would just chop the berries and add to the cream cheese. A drop or two of food coloring can give that pink color if you really want it. Or serve the berry compote over the cake when serving.

Many cheesecakes are baked in a bain marie, so water is not an issue. Blotting it after you take it out is common and not an issue for me. I would invite you to review the cheesecake recipes on Facebook in the Rootitoot Group for easy, simple and delicious desserts. Cream cheese is on sale now, so please try again.

If I were to guess, I would say that it didn't cook long enough to set up. If it was a cheesecake that should have become firm with all the eggs in it. Like the ordeal I was reading about the chicken that was still hard...I think it was still raw is why it was hard/tough.

Pressure does nothing to food. It is temperature that cooks food.

There are too many things, parts, electronics in a smart IP that can effect temperature.

I would put a small container of cooking oil in you IP, cook it under pressure for a while and measure the oil temperature immediately after pressure release.

A simple dumb pressure cooker will always give you 250F cooking temperature.

dcarch

I checked the water in the pot afterward and it was pretty hot and it did release steam after 10 minutes of natural release so I have no reason to believe it did not come under pressure. My observation of the sodden mess was that the middle layer with the strawberries had infused the top layer (vanilla). The chocolate crumb layer was no only intact-it appears to be as hard as a rock. OK, I think I might try this one again but maybe instead of doing a strawberry puree, I use strawberry extract and a touch of food coloring. I don't like being defeated by a kitchen appliance - lol.

Increase the cream cheese to 16 ounces and forget the sour cream. Many of the IP recipes that call for the sour cream also have you add flour (yuck) to firm it up. and increase the cooking time to 30 minutes for a 7 inch pan.

That sounds like a good idea. I wasn't sure what the sour cream was supposed to do. I was also wondering if adding some strawberry jello to the strawberry layer might work (especially to firm things up).

Or use freeze dried strawberries.

dcarch

I did a google search and all the recipes call for a brownie base and dried strawberry powder. Might be interesting

It's a beautiful looking cake. I am not against actually just using food color to pink up the middle and adorning it with strawberries on the top. Then it would have that strawberry chocolate combo taste that I love so much.

By the way, I tried about six stores and could not find the chocolate wafer cookies mentioned in the recipe and even when I look on line they are sold out. Is there something going on that I don't know about? Why is there a run on chocolate wafer cookies I wonder? I was looking for Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer.s.

Are you sure you're looking in the right place, jerzeegirl? In our publix they're in the baking supplies, not the cookie aisle.

Thanks, WB. It makes no sense to me but I will definitely take another look.

No, there's a lot about current shelf theory that makes no sense to average person. I was looking for cookie cutters in Target and after the staff rummaged through the whole kitchen section, they found they'd moved to the party aisle. Go figure.

That's downright perverse.

At my store, they are located on a shelf above the ice cream.

Jerzeegirl, here they are in the baking aisle too, right next to the ice cream toppings, and neither of those placements make any sense to me. You'd think ice cream toppings would be by the ice cream, but nope, they're in baking. So are the chocolate wafer cookies, as well as maraschino cherries.

Annie

I tried Publix and Winn Dixie today - no luck. Maybe sold out because it's baking season?

Did you ask at customer service? They can order it in for you if there are more in the warehouse.

I figure it's not worth it. I have some TJ cat cookies that are chocolate or I can use chocolate graham crackers or add some cocoa powder to regular grahams. I have to stop obsessing over cookies - lol.

Sure, whatever, but if you didn't know, it's still official publix policy to order in anything that's sold in their district but not available in your store, although nowadays they often just lie and say it's not available. Publix isn't the same at all since Mr. Publix died.

Old George ran a tight ship. I usually don't shop at Publix. I stopped after they refused to participate in the immokallee thing.

I usually don't shop at Publix.

Ah, you're one of those lucky people who have a choice. Publix is very different in areas where they have competition. My neighbors get apoplectic after they go into Publix in, say, Ft. Lauderdale, and see how different it is.

We have publix, one sloooowly dying winn-dixie, one Fresh Market ditto, and, thank heaven, Aldi is moving in, but you can't get everything at Aldi.

There are so many choices here that we have to do circuits to get all the stores in. This week we go here; next week we go there. And there are Amish farm stores which I like very much I have compared Publix and Winn Dixie and I have decided I like Winn Dixie better. They have better produce, some very interesting "cult" products, and are at least one-third cheaper than Publix. I was making Philadelphia Hoagies yesterday and had to get some lunch meat. I could buy Dietz and Watson at Winn Dixie for $4.95 or Boars Head at Publix for $7.95. Guess what I bought. My shopping bills went down by 33% when I stopped shopping at Publix.

Glad you have a decent one. I don't think they've cleaned the floors in ours since, oh, maybe right after Hurricane Jeanne.

Ugh. Gross.

There is no bigger fan of the IP than me. My cheesecakes were failures also. Mine came out like red hot cottage cheese. It set up in the fridge after about 36 hours but had a horrible texture. Never again.

I have to confess. I know I said I would never make another one but I did. The second one (very plain) came out edible....but barely. The thing I liked the least was how you have to sop up the liquid on the top of the cake with a paper towel. That just ain't right. And I really didn't like the taste.

Great for chicken, great for ribs, great for chili, rice, yogurt, oatmeal. Not really great for cheesecake.

I think in the past year I have made 6 to 7 cheesecakes and never had a failure. As for the water drops on top, you can cover the pan with some foil. Here is my basic recipe.

CheesecakeThis recipe looks long but it’s really 3 simple steps: make the crust, make the filling and make the topping. The instructions are just detailed so that even a first-timer can have a perfect result.

Crust:1 cup graham, chocolate or vanilla waferscrumbs

2 tsp sugar

3 Tbsp melted butter

Filling:2 8-oz pkg cream cheese, (low-fat works, too)

3/4 cup sugar (sugar substitutes work, too)

2 eggs (warm 5 minutes in a bowl of warmwater)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

(1-2 tsp grated lemon zest - optional)

Topping:1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla.

The recipe and cook times are for a 7” cheesecake pan. Adjusted times for other pans are included below. It is not necessary to line the side of the pan with parchment paper. It buckles and mars the edge. My favourite is the Fat Daddio 7” push pan but any pan will do. No need to cover it with foil before cooking, either. This is a very simple recipe.

**Important: Warm the cream cheese. Trust me on this. I've been making these for 45years. It's MUCH easier to blend if it's warmer than room temperature and it only takes a few minutes. Put the wrapped cream cheese in a ziplock bag, but don't seal it. Push it into a sink or bowl full of hot tap water to force the air out and THEN seal it. Weight it down with a plate for about 15 minutes. It will be very soft and easy to blend.Lining the bottom with parchment is optional. Spray it with baking spray if you prefer. And don't press the crust in too firmly. It will be easier to serve if you use a gentle touch.

CRUST: Mix ingredients with a fork and gently press it in the bottom of the pan and up the sides a bit if you like. Put it in the freezer or if you prefer, bake it at 350 for 9 minutes, then cool completely.

FILLING: Mix all ingredients except the eggs until completely smooth. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated. (Don't fret too much about overbeating. This recipe is practically bulletproof.) Pour the filling into the crust.Put 1 1/2 cups water and the trivet into the IP. Place the cheesecake on the trivet, close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Hit Pressure Cook (or Manual) and use the + and – buttons to get to 26 minutes for a 7-inch pan. This will produce a perfect, creamy filling. If you prefer a denser texture, cook it for 28 minutes.- - -PAN SIZE AND COOK TIMES:6-inch pan --- 29 minutes (31 for dense texture)7-inch pan --- 26 minutes (28 for dense texture)8-inch pan --- 24 minutes (26 for dense texture) **see below Individual ramekins or mason jars --- 10 minutes For 1 1/2 times the recipe:7–inch pan --- 29 minutes (32 for a dense texture)8-inch pan --- 27 minutes (30 for a dense texture)For 2 times the recipe:8-inch pan --- 33 minutes (35 for a dense texture)- - -When it beeps that it's done, leave it for a 15-minutes Natural Release. Then flip the valve to Venting for a Quick Release. When the pin drops, take out the cheesecake.It will appear "jiggly." That's GOOD. It will firm up as it cools. It may have some condensation on the surface. If so, gently blot it with a paper towel.Leave it to cool on the counter for an hour. It will settle down and flatten out. Then cover the cheesecake and refrigerate it in the pan for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. In my opinion,this is the hardest part of the whole recipe... the waiting

Hmmm. Thank, pkramer. I might just give that a try since I appear to have a lot of cream cheese at the moment. When does the sour cream topping go on? I assume one would mix it together and pour it on top of the cake...but when?

After the cheesecake has cooled in the fridge for 4 hours. You can also top with fruit or chocolate ganache.

Thank you pkramer60! That is indeed a great recipe! I brought it to a pot luck on Saturday and people thought it was store-bought because it was so perfect! Here are the tester pieces we had the night before the potluck :-). I put the strawberry sauce on top of the cake and it was really beautiful.

I am so happy this worked for you! Now on to different flavors to wow the family and friends. Go to Rootitoot.com for triple chocolate, pumpkin, and many more.