Archive | September, 2015

New York Style

10 Sep

Classic Strawberry Cheesecake

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I’m going to come right out and be up front here… I don’t like Cheesecake. I know, general statement. I’ve only tried a couple different kinds. Typically, my goal when I don’t like a certain dessert is to find a way to make it so that I do like it. The New York Style Strawberry Cheesecake however, is an exception. You just don’t mess with it, kind of like New Yorkers in general.

There are several different variations on how to make Cheesecake, from ingredients to oven techniques. I’ve tried 2:

  1. No Water Bath
  2. Variation of the water bath
    *Water bath is cooking the cheesecake by placing the spring-form pan inside a roaster/pot of boiling water. it helps to regulate the temperature and protect the cheesecake while it is cooking.

The first one I made with no water bath came out burnt on the top, the crust was overcooked and it was slightly uneven. For the water bath method, rather than putting the spring-form pan directly in the pan of water, I placed a pot of water on the rack directly below and the cheesecake came out beautiful!

Another trick I found to keep the top smooth: do not use convection bake on the oven, just use regular bake. I made this mistake on my first cheesecake as well which was one of the causes of the unevenness. As you work through the recipe there will be some additional tips along the way. Hopefully at the end you’ll have a dreamy and delicious dessert to share!

Classic Cheesecake

From the top

What You’ll Need:
Crust:

  • 1 3/4 Cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs (~9 Graham Crackers)
  • 3 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 Stick (4 Tablespoons) of Unsalted Butter, Melted

Cheesecake:

  • 2 Pounds (Four 8-ounce boxes) of Cream Cheese, at room temperature – I used the Philadelphia Cream Cheese that are the solid, rectangular boxes. The cream crease in the tubs have air whipped into them and won’t work the same way as traditional blocked cream cheese
  • 1 1/3 Cups of Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 Teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/3 Cups of Sour Cream or Heavy Cream, or a combination of the two:  The sour cream will give you a tangier cheesecake, which is a more traditional “New York Classic”, while the heavy cream is milder. As long as you keep the measurement at 1 1/3 cups, you can use whatever combo of the two you’d like

Strawberry Topping:

  • 1 Cup of Sliced Strawberries
  • 1/4 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 Cup of Strawberry Jam
  • 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice

Instructions: 

  • Crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center the rack in the oven
  2. Butter the bottom and sides of your spring form pan and place a fitted piece of parchment paper on the bottom.  I used a 10.25-inch Spring-form pan, but you can also use a standard 9-inch. Just make sure the sides of the pan are at least 2 3/4-inches high (if they’re lower, you’ll have some batter leftover).
  3. Use a food processor to breakup the graham cracker into crumbs and mix together with the sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl.
  4. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist.
  5. Turn the ingredients into the buttered spring-form pay and pat an even layer of crumbs along the bottom of the pan. You can use the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to flatten out the crust to get a uniform layer.
  6. Place the spring-form pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The sides of the crust should be just browning slightly when it’s done.
  7. Set the crust aside to cool on a rack while you make the cheesecake.

crumbs

  • Cheesecake
  1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 Degrees F and put a kettle of water on to boil
  2. Working with a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until it is soft, roughly 4 minutes. With the mixer still running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat for an additional 4 minutes until the cream cheese is light. You’ll start to see the creamy nature really come through here. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Kitchen Aide
  3. Beat in the vanilla and add the eggs, one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition — you want a well-aerated batter, but not over-beaten. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Reduce the mixer to low speed and stir in the sour cream and/or heavy cream
  5. Take the bowl off the mixer and give the batter a few stirs with the rubber spatula, just to make sure nothing has been left unmixed at the bottom of the bowl. cheese cake and crust
  6. Make sure the sides of the spring-form pan are well greased and scrape the batter into the pan
  7. Pour the boiling water into a large pot or roasting pan and place it in the oven on the bottom rack.  This will regulate the baking temperature since the temperature of water never exceeds boiling point (it turns into steam), it keeps the cheesecake baking at an even, slow temperature. This prevents the cheesecake from overcooking (especially around the edges). the steam created further protects the baking as it keeps the air in the oven moist and humid to prevent the top of the cake from drying out and cracking. 
  8. Place the spring-form pan on the center rack, just above the pan of water and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Now, no matter how tempted you are, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! Any slight change in temperature will cause cracks in the cheesecake or allow it to sink in the middle. 
  9. Turn off the oven after the 1.5 hours and prop open the oven door for 30 minutes to 1 hour and let the cheese cake cool slowly. You’ll see that the cake is done when the sides are sturdy, but the middle wiggles a little.
  10. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and let it come to room temperature on a cooling rack
  11. Once the cake is cool, cover the top lightly with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight which is better
  • Strawberry Topping
  1. In a large bowl, toss together the sliced strawberries and the sugar. Let it sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
  2. Whisk the jam until completely smooth and place in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the jam is dark and no longer frothy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
  3. Pour the jam mixture over the strawberries and stir to combine
  4. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours

To Serve

To un-mold the cheesecake, wrap a hot kitchen town around the outside of the pan and hold in place for 1 minute. Using a sharp knife, move around the edges of the cake to make sure it is separated from the sides of the pan. Remove the sides and then slide a thin metal spatula between the crust/parchment paper and the bottom of the pan to loosen, then slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter. If you prefer, you can also leave the metal bottom under the cake and place it on the serving plate (for a first time, it’s definitely the safe way to go!). Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Drizzle the strawberry topping over the slice and drift away in a dreamy, creamy cheesecake!

Distance Slice

Enjoy!
Kristin

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Third Times a Charm!

1 Sep

Chocolate Macarons
Salted Caramel & Chocolate Ganache Filling 

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See Updated Macaron Post HERE

These little suckers are definitely one of the hardest treats I’ve made in a while. 1st attempt ended with hollow shells, but they still tasted good! When I look back, I didn’t let them sit and I rushed through it a bit as I was baking and cooking dinner at the same time (never a good idea!). The 2nd attempt: I did a lot of research, found the “perfect” recipe, went through it step by step, following to a tee, piped out beautifully on the baking sheet, they’re lookin’ good… NOPE! They came out totally flat, chewy and not very tasty at all. There they go, in the garbage, slam the oven, grumble under my breath. Now, I’m determined. Poor Rob has now come to the realization, not only that I’m a little crazy and that the kitchen is a disaster, but we’re not eating dinner until closer to 8:30pm versus 7pm.

I took a deep breath, looked for the chocolate recipe that I found (because obviously if it’s chocolate it will work!) and started over. What I’ve learned when it comes to Macarons:

  • Be patient (need to work on this one)
  • Don’t get frustrated (guilty)
  • Don’t rush it (guilty)
  • Deep breath and a glass of wine can solve 1 – 3 above (guilty)
  • Everyone’s “perfect” recipe is different, it’s all trial and error to find your own technique

Now, with all that behind me, I successfully made Macarons! As I mentioned, everyone has their own technique for these. Some say, no need to let the Macarons sit before putting them in the oven, you can add the sugar to the eggs right away, or add the whole flour/sugar mixture to the meringue all at once rather than in batches. Others say: fold 60 times, 30 times, 45 times to get the correct consistency. Let me just say, counting your folds? Really? C’mon, let’s simplify this a bit. You have to use your eye and your judgement a bit and that really just comes with time, trial & error (hence, my 3 attempts!), and some guidance, which you’ll hopefully get from the recipe below. What I like about this recipe is that it followed a lot of the “rules” that apply in general baking which I’ll be sure to point out as we go.

French Chocolate Macarons

3 Stacked

What You Need:

  • 2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
  • 1 Cup of Almond Flour
  • 3 Tablespoons of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Fine Salt
  • 3 Large Egg Whites (Room Temperature*)
    *Rather than letting the eggs sit out, submerge them in warm water for 5 minutes

Prep:

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F and arrange the rack in the middle of the oven
  3. Set up a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip **Trick: Cut the tip of the bag, place the baking tip in, twist just above the tip and place the bag in an empty liquid measuring cup (one that holds at ~2 cups), fold the edges of the pastry bag over the edges of the measuring cup to create a a “bowl” in the bag to make it easier when the time comes and you wont get frosting/ganache/caramel/etc. all over the top of the bag before you use it. Image from Brave Tart:

pastry bag

Instructions:

  1. Sift together the Powdered Sugar, Almond Flour, Cocoa Powder and Salt. Sift an additional 1 – 2 times. Yes, 2 – 3 total sifts! It seems like a lot, but you need to make sure there are no clumps and the Almond Flour can be pretty thick. Push through as much of the Almond Flour you can and throw out any big clumps left over.
  2. Make the Meringue:
    1. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until opaque and foamy. Increase the speed to medium high & beat until the egg whites hold the line of the whisk, about 1 minute 30 seconds (roughly) then add the Sugar** This is part of the recipe that you see variations on. Some people say that waiting that minute or so to add the sugar doesn’t matter at all, but this way seemed to work best for me.
    2. Continue to whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and there is a clump of meringue in the whisk. This may take a couple of minutes, but make sure the meringue is stiff because it will deflate as you add in the flower. To get the clump out of the whisk, just tap it on the side of the bowl a couple times.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry mixture into the egg whites in 4 batches folding each batch until just barely incorporated** Here’s the 2nd part of the recipe that you see variations. Typically when you’re combining ingredients, especially wet into dry it is done in batches or it will take forever to incorporate and the mix will end up over-mixed. While the meringue will deflate here, we want to make sure not to over-fold. My second attempt at Macarons I added all of the dry at once and I found that I over-folded the mix and the rounds came out flat with no feet. Only fold until there are no traces of egg whites. The mixture will look like slow-moving lava, similar to cake batter.
  4. Transfer the batter to the pastry bag. Pipe out rounds roughly 1-1/4 inch around about 1-inch apart onto the baking sheets. Here is a great video to show how to pipe the “perfect” Macaron.
    1. Place the piping tip on the tray at a 45 degree angle
    2. Keep the tip still and pipe into the mound of mixture, the mixture will spread a little, but form a circle
    3. Pull the tip up when you’ve reached your desired size and the peak will fall back into the mixture. It will take a couple tries (especially if it’s your first time) to pipe out consistent circles each time, but you’ll get the hang of it
  5. Once all the rounds are piped out, pick up the baking sheets and bang them against the work surface to create the Macaron “base” or “foot”. This will ensure that all of the air bubbles are out of the mixture.
  6. Let the rounds sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry the tops (when you touch the tops, they won’t be sticky anymore)** Here’s the 3rd spot that varies per recipe. The 1st and 2nd batch I made, I did not let the rounds sit, but popped them right in the oven. The 1st batch rose and had feet, but second batch was flat.  People say that it doesn’t matter, but letting them set worked for me, so I’m stickin’ to it! This is a good time to grab a glass of wine or maybe clean up your work surface a bit. I prefer the wine!

Uncooked Baking Sheet

  1. Once dried, or after your wine glass is empty, pop the macaroons in the oven. Bake for a total of 14 minutes, rotating the sheets half way through. If you’re using a convention bake, you may want to leave the Macarons alone for the full 14 minutes. Opening the oven is a tricky task as you don’t want to lose the oven temperature and cause your rounds to become hollow. With that said, I rotated mine half way though and they came out great! Rule of thumb: If you don’t have to open the oven, don’t!
  2. Take the rounds out of the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for roughly 3 – 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Do not fill the Macarons until they are completely cooled.

Finished Baking sheet

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

What You Need:

  • 4 Ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature & cut into cubes

Instructions:

  1. Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to boil
  2. Take the cream off the heat and slowly stir in the chocolate without creating any bubbles. Let sit for 1 minute
  3. Add the butter and stir until smooth
  4. Cover with saran wrap so that the wrap is touching the top of the ganache and let it chill in the refrigerator until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Salted Caramel Filling:

What You Need:

  • 2 Tablespoons of Thick Caramel – You can be ambitious and make your own through How to Cook That, but I just purchased jar of Caramel at the store
  • Additional 1/2 Cup of Thick Caramel
  • 1/2 Cup of Butter
  • Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes

Instructions:

  1. Keep the 2 tablespoons of Caramel off to the side for now.
  2. Combined the 1/2 Cup of Caramel with the 1/2 Cup of Butter and the Sea Salt and beat until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator to thicken, about 30 minutes.

The Assembly 

  1. Pair Macarons of similar size
  2. Remove the Ganache from the refrigerator and transfer to a piping bag
  3. Remove the Salted Caramel from the refrigerator and transfer to a piping bag
  4. Warm the 2 tablespoons of thick caramel that was not used in the recipe and spoon a small amount into the center of one half of the shells ** You’re only going to place filling on the bottom round and leave the top bare for easy assembly
  5. I did half chocolate ganache and half salted caramel, so know in advance which ones you’re going to do as each flavor. Place about 1 teaspoon of the ganache OR salted caramel on top of the thick caramel you placed in the center of the Macaron half.
  6. Place the top on and press gently so that it looks like a mini hamburger.
  7. Refrigerate, covered, at lest 24 hours before serving to let the filling set.

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After several attempts, it was a wonderful success to finally get them right! I hope I didn’t scare you too much with my failed attempts. These are fun bite sized (or 2 bites depending on the person!) treats to share at parties or to keep all to yourself.

Enjoy!
Kristin

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