Saturday 9 June 2007

Best Ever Baked Cheesecake

Yes, that is a pretty bold statement to make. But i can't help it. This cheesecake recipe is so good - creamy, fluffy, yet not "heavy" It is good even when I've made it with low-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream. My family is crazy about cheesecakes so I've tried many recipes and so far this has been the favourite and I frequently get requests from friends to make this cheesecake for parties. Of course it helps that this recipe is from Tyler from Food 911. I used to rush home from classes when I was studying in Michigan, just so I could see Tyler in action. The Food Network was one of my favourite channels then :-)

I've done many versions of this for e.g. using blueberries, oreo cookies, espresso, marbled. I've also made a plain cheesecake but varied the biscuit crust/base e.g. using oreo, choc chip, or gingernut cookies. (Tip: You will need to crush 18-20 cookies with roughly 1 metled tbspn of butter).

I made this cheesecake for Quikong's sister's birthday dinner tonite. She likes simple cheesecakes like lemon cheesecake. So, I decided to make a lemon cheesecake but to make it more interesting, I used Arnott's Kingston biscuits for the crust because Quikong and his brother loves these biscuits and I hope that his sister does too. Then I had to really think hard about how i could make this cheesecake more special because it looked too boring for an occasion such as birthday. Looking through my supplies, I got excited when I saw the kumquats that I bought a few days ago with the intention of making preserves.


For the Lemon Cheesecake:
- See this Crack Proof Cheesecake recipe by Tyler
- I followed Tyler's instructions exactly, but added in the juice of half a lemon together with the sour cream
- For the crust, I used a packet of Kingston biscuits crushed with 1 tbspn melted unsalted butter


And the
piece de la resistance...
Caramelised Kumquat Glaze

10 oz kumquats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
2 tbspn lime juice (optional)

Slice kumquat about 1/4 cm in width, remove any seeds. Over medium heat, boil sugar and water till sugar dissolves and liquid thickens. Lower heat and add kumquat slices. Stir kumquats occasionally and cook for about 15-20 minutes (till kumquat rind becomes tender). Carefully coat the top of cheesecake immediately. I didn't use all of it for the cheesecake, so I added some rasberries to the remainder and will use it on my toast tomorrow (yummm).

20 comments:

Valentina said...

Nora, the picture looks so delicious. I have not had a slice of cheesecake in quite a while now. And never had kumquat. i have made notes and will be replicating your recipe.

Aimée said...

Wow, this looks excellent! I love the vibrant color of the kumquats.

Janet said...

That looks great. I love cheesecake, but I don't think I've ever had a kumquat. Very original!

Nora B. said...

Valentina, the possibility of what type of cheesecake you can make with this basic recipe is endless! The trick is to not overcook it. Plus, I think it's the sour cream that makes the cheesecake "lighter".

Aimée & Janet, thank you :-) Using the kumquats was a last minute idea, so I am glad that it worked out well.

Anonymous said...

Never had kumquats either. You make me discover all these nice fruits. The story does not say if Quikong's sister liked it? Or is her birthday tonight? Anyway, if she does not like it, you can call me and I will come for rescue. I am not expecting a phone call :-)

Re: photo. I am no expert, but I think you are doing very well at food photographing. This picture seems very balanced... and makes the cake looks very tempting!

Nora B. said...

Em, thanks for your nice comments. As for the photos, I have lots of great idea, not not the technical know how and I need a better camera. Something to save up for... Yes, the whole family loved the cheesecake. We had the birthday dinner last nite. (Although Quikong's brother preferred the blueberry cheesecake that i made last Christmas) I'm afraid that was only one slice left and Quikong's sister is saving it for the next day :-)

Cynthia said...

I trust you and I trust Tyler. Will definitely give this a try. The cheesecake looks perfect, Nora.

Eva said...

I LOVE cheesecake! And I know kumquats only from hearsay - so I should definitely try this one! However, I face the same problem as you: This weather increases my cravings for dessert but decreases my willpower for exercise...

Eva said...

PS: I agree with Em - the colours in your cheesecake pictures are wonderful!

Truffle said...

That sounds like cheesecake perfection!

Susan said...

I love candied kumquats. They were always offered for dessert at the storefront Chinese restaurant my family frequented when I was a kid. They have fallen out of favor through the years, and I rarely see them in markets. I'd be willing to make my own. This looks just great, Nora, a nice change from pineapple or strawberry topping.

Nora B. said...

Cynthia, THANK YOU! p/s: i wonder if there is a Tyler fan club I can join.... ;-)

Eva, this cheesecake recipe is so versatile. So, you don't have to use kumquats but use any fruit you like. BTW, kumquats can be eaten whole, skin and all. As for photos, I need to take more lessons from you :-) p/s: I hope you didn't skip your boxing class.

Truffle, yes it is indeed - it is a fool-proof recipe.

Yes, Susan, it was a nice change. I associate kumquat to the Chinese grocers/shops too. As a child, I recall my Chinese neighbours had small potted kumquat trees (plants?) as decorations especially during the Chinese New Year period. I didn't know that kumquats could be eaten fresh till I became an adult. Try making kumquat marmalade, it is so delicious.

Helene said...

What a beauty! I hope Q' sister appreciated it. Looks gorgeous with the caramelized kumquats.

Nora B. said...

Thanks Helen. Yes, his sister loved it. She was so excited that I made a cake for her.

Lucy said...

Lovely cheesecake - our huge cumquat tree is heaving with fruit at the moment.

Karin W. said...

You know, I have never made a cheesecake, although i like it very much. It´s about time..

Kumquats, interesting fruit... however, I don´t think they can be purchased at my supermarket.

Nora B. said...

Oh how lucky you are, Lucy! What will you do with all that fruit?

Karin, now you have a recipe to try if you ever feel like making your own cheesecake.

Patricia Scarpin said...

What a different cheesecake, Nora - the kumquats really finish it beautifully.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic looking cheesecake! I love creamy cheesecakes.

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Hi Nora,

I'm hosting AFAM - kumquats this month, today is the last day and I would love to have this recipe as your entry.. I don't have too many of them so I'm looking for archive recipes...

http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=2011

Thank you, Margot