Easy Cheesecake - Help To Keep Your Next Easy Cheesecake From Being A Disaster

When you baked your last cheesecake... was it all cracked on the top? How about lumps, did it contain a good deal more lumps than the usual room full of camels? I have got some remedies for everyone! Baking can be a precise craft where there are a few things which can help you bake a very good easy cheesecake at home!

Pans, pans, pans

You may ask, what type of pan do you make use of to make a cheesecake? Well, generally, cheesecakes are baked in a spring form pan. The typical size spring form pan is 9 inches around. This kind of pan has a couple of parts. It has a round base piece and a circular piece with a hook-like closure which allows the round bottom piece to nestle into its bottom groove.

You may also make a rectangle-shaped cheesecake and use a 9x13 pan for baking.

Crust or not to crust

Have you ever tried a cheesecake without using a crust? It is actually very good. Someone gave me an original New Your style cheesecake recipe many years ago. It was handed down through several generations (who came over to the US from Italy). The recipe doesn't require a crust. It is possible to exclude the crust from any cheesecake recipe, in case you want. (Except of course, from a no-bake cheesecake recipe. But, here, we are discussing the baked style of dessert)

I enjoy a good quality crust. You are able to pick a basic crust including things like graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Also you can get creative and try Nilla wafers, gingersnaps, chocolate or even chocolate chip cookies (the crunchy kind) or chocolate graham crumbs in the place of the standard graham crumbs.

The Cheese

You may ask what kind of cream cheese can I use in my easy cheesecake recipe. My estimation is to use the full fat, full flavor cream cheese. I've attempted low fat cream cheese in doing my cheesecake and it really took from that creamy taste and rich flavor.

Note to self: If your recipe calls for a full fat ingredient, stick with it.

Earthquake!

Alright, why do you have a fault line down the center of your cheesecake? Several problems might cause this. First, over beating the batter may cause cracks in the dessert. Incorrect oven temperature can cause it too. But, when it comes down to it, cheesecakes are vulnerable cakes and often crack. There is also a way for helping your cake stay in one piece. You can put the pan that contains your unbaked cake, inside another pan that contains about 1 inch of water, while the cake bakes. We call this a "water bath".

Lumps, lumps and more lumps

Why is my cake so lumpy? Well, was your cheese at room temperature before you began to mix it? If it was not, that is likely the cause of your lumps. Make sure you get started preparing your cheese after it is at room temperature. And be sure you beat it enough, as to remove the lumps.

Be certain never to over mix your ingredients, though. Over mixing may cause the easy cheesecake to sink in the middle!

I am all set to eat

I know, I know, you wish to immediately indulge in your cheesecake the moment it emerges from the warm oven. NO! Don't do it! Hold yourself back. Your cheesecake may break apart when you remove it from the pan prematurely. Plus, a cheesecake always tastes much better the following day, after it has sat in the refrigerator overnight. If you do not have the time to wait that long, let it sit in the fridge at LEAST 4 hours before cutting into your easy cheesecake.

Who would like to have our own FREE recipe book full of easy cheesecake recipes? Just head over to EasyCheesecakeInfo.com to pick up your Free copy. While you are there, take a look at the recipes and videos posted on http://www.easycheesecakeinfo.com/

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How to Make An Easy Cream of Potato Soup

Why use a mix when it's easy to make fresh, tasty potato soup yourself? The salty bacon compliments the sweetness of the sauteed onions. Wrap it up all together with a little heavy cream and lots of potatoes. The trick is to mash some of the potatoes and leave some in chunks. Decrease the fat by substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon and skim milk for the cream. Because you're browning the onions in the bacon fat the soup will not be pure white but take on a beige color from the bacon and lots of flavor.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you're on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they're soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they'll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven't forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you're on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don't have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It's easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night's supper.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Her hobbies include gardening and cooking healthy dinner recipes, and sharing her grilling tips. She lives with an Irish Setter and an English Springer Spaniel.

http://EzineArticles.com/6468513

Pumpkins Aren't Just for Jack-O-Lanterns! Try These Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

As we approach Fall, my mind turns to the beautiful Southern Indiana Falls of my childhood. The leaves, especially on the maple trees were such a myriad of colors, the fields held scrarecrows and fodder shocks. Hay bales and colorful pumpkins were everywhere. But one of the best parts of Fall were the delicious desserts when we cooked up those pumpkins. Not only do you get some good pulp out of the pumpkin, the seeds are delicious, too. This first recipe combines those tasty seeds with walnuts and almonds for a tasty baked cluster. The second recipe makes a delicious layered dessert.

PUMPKIN SEED NUT CLUSTERS
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
1 cup plain slivered almonds
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a couple of baking sheets; set aside.

Spread the pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almonds out on a large cookie sheet with sides or a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. Toast in oven at 325 degrees 10 to 15 minutes until golden; cool.

While seeds/nuts cool, beat the egg whites in a large mixer bowl until soft peaks form (soft peaks will curl over rather than stand stiff). Gradually add half the sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Stir together the other half of the sugar, the flour and the salt. Gently fold this mixture into the stiff egg whites. Fold in the toasted seeds and nuts mixture. Drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets by rounded teaspoonsful. Bake at 325 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 48 clusters

PUMPKIN SPICE DESSERT
1 cup biscuit and baking mix
1/2 cup quick cook oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup stick butter
1 can (16-oz) solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (13-oz) evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl cut together the biscuit and baking mix, oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together until well mixed. Pour pumpkin mixture over the baked mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the chopped nuts, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter together until crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture over the pumpkin layer. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting to serve.

Note: Great served with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic information and recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.

http://EzineArticles.com/6508400