Cheesecake Help Please?

Question

I know that cheesecake consists mainly of 3 parts...The crust, The filling, and The topiings...All of which can have a variety of flavors. I'm having a hard time being creative. ANY SUGGESTIONS? (No Chocolate please because of health reasons). Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Cranberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
2 cups graham cracker or shortbread cookie crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

CRANBERRY TOPPING:
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice

FILLING:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Combine crumbs and butter; press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 300 degrees F for 5-8 minutes. Cool. Meanwhile, for topping, combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 1 minute. Stir in berries; cover and reduce heat. Cook until most berries have popped, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice. Press mixture through a sieve or food mill; set aside. For filling, beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until light. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add lemon juice. Pour into crust; spoon 4 tablespoons topping on filling and "marble" with a knife or spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Turn oven off; let cake stand in oven 2 hours. Remove from oven; cool. Pour remaining topping on top; refrigerate overnight.


Mandarin Orange Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (250 mL)
3/4 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely ground (175 mL)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (50 mL)

Filling:
3 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (125 mL)
1 cup granulated sugar (250 mL)
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (125 mL)
1-1/2 Tbsp orange zest (22 mL)
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate (50 mL)
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
1 can (10 ounces/300 mL) mandarin orange segments, drained

Topping:
1-1/2 cup sour cream (375 mL)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar (25 mL)
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice (25 mL)

Decoration:
1/2 cup whipping cream (125 mL)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar (25 mL)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F./180 degrees C. Prepare pan: 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.

Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, almonds and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.

Filling:
In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in sour cream, orange zest, orange juice concentrate and vanilla. Fold orange segments into batter. Pour over frozen crust. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.

Topping:
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar and orange juice. Pour into center of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

Decoration:
In a well-chilled bowl, whip cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer still running, sprinkle sugar into cream and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Ice top of cake or pipe a border around cake, if desired.

Tips:
Fresh mandarin oranges are usually available in November and December for the peak holiday baking season. Store in the refrigerator as they spoil quickly, and wash well before zesting.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Answer 2

Kiwi Cheesecake

CRUST:
1 1/2 c Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 c Sugar; Granulated
CHEESECAKE:
1 1/2 lb Cream Cheese
1 ts Vanilla Extract
1 c Sugar; Granulated
1/4 ts Salt
4 ea Eggs; Large, Slightly Beaten
TOPPING:
1 c Sour Cream
2 ea Kiwi Fruits; Peeled & Sliced
2 tb Milk
1/2 ts Vanilla Extract
6 tb Butter; Melted
3 tb Confectioners' Sugar

Prep:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the crumbs in a mixing bowl and add the butter (NO Margarine) and sugar. Blend well. Press the mixture onto the bottom and partly up the sides of a greased 9-inch spring form pan. Smooth the crumb mixture along the bottom to an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool before filling.

2. CHEESECAKE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, milk, salt, and vanilla until well blended. Add the eggs and sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned; the cake should be set in the middle. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Prepare the topping by mixing together, the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread the topping over the top of the cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Cool to room temperature; then refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, garnish the top of the cake with slices of Kiwi fruit.

Answer 3

We make strawberry, raspberry, and many other flavors of cheesecake, just get a plain cheesecake recipe (if it doesn't direct you to, add a small amount of citrus juice to the batter to prevent the cheesecake from cracking on top) and prepare it, pour it into pans (We use a graham cracker crust-- you can buy them at the store to save the time and frustration of making your own), then add a small tablespoonful of any fruit jam you like to the top of the cheescake- swirl it into the batter in a random pattern.. Bake it as directed then spread the same jam (as much as you like) over the top before serving... They're good and fairly simple to make.. Good Luck!!

Answer 4

This is an incredible cheesecake recipe...one of my favorites...It is called Raspberry swirl...it is very sweet with a hint of lemon...SO GOOD!!!

1 prepared regular graham cracker pie crust or chocolate graham wafer pie crust
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT EVAPORATED)
1 egg
3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus
1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (Strawberry preserves can always be substituted)

Beat cream cheese until fluffy (its easier to beat if you bring it to room temperature first).
Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, until smooth, add egg and 3 tablesppons lemon juice, mix well.
Pour half the batter into the crust.
Combine remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice with preserves in a bowl.
Spoon half the preserves over batter.
Pour remaining batter on top.
Using a knife, swirl remaining preserves into a decorative pattern.
Bake at 300F for 55 minutes.
Cool.
Refrigerate leftovers.



If that doesn't sound good to you...my other favorite cheesecake recipe is a Banana Cream Cheesecake...soo delicious and if you have ever eaten at the cheesecake factory..it tastes JUST like theirs!

For the crust
20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies
1/4 cup margarine, melted
For the filling
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
3/4 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
shredded coconut, for topping (optional)

Use a blender to finely chop the cookies.
Add margarine and blend until they are well combines.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 10" springform pan and smooth it out.
Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs (one at a time).
Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
Pour mixture into crust.
Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake an additional 75 minutes, or until center is almost set, adding coconut for last 20 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before removing rim of pan -- Before removing the pan, run warm water over a knife and slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate the cake from the pan cleanly.
Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, at least 6 hours.

Answer 5

ICarmel Apple Cheesecake


NGREDIENTS
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
12 pecan halves
2/3 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Reserve 3/4 cup of apple pie filling and set aside.
Spoon remaining pie filling into crust. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth then add eggs and mix well. Pour over apple filling in crust.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Mix reserved apple filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan. Heat for about 1 minute. Arrange apple slices around outside edge of cheesecake. Spread caramel sauce evenly over. Decorate with pecan halves around edge. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Chill until ready to serve.

Answer 6

Amaretto cheesecake is wonderful!

9 inch spring form pan

1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp butter
2 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 1/4 c. white sugar
3 tbsp additional white sugar to be used separately
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 (16oz) container sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp amaretto liqueur
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs

preheat oven to 350

Mix graham cracker crumbs, 3 tbsp sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 min. Remove from oven and set aside.

In separate bowl mix cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch and blend until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla, amaretto and salt mixing until well blended. On low speed with electric mixer add eggs slowly, one at a time and continue to mix until batter is smooth and well blended.

Pour batter over crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and loosen around the edges with a knife and allow to cool on a wire rack while still in pan. Refrigerate and remove pan after completely chilled.

Answer 7

Actually, chocolate cheesecake is my signature dish, but here are a few of my other favorites:

1. Pumpkin cheesecake: Gingersnap crust, pumpkin filling,
Sourcream mixed with sugar and vanilla topping with
candied walnuts.

2. White chocolate raspberry cheesecake, graham cracker
crust, whipped cream topping with fresh raspberries

3. Lemon cheesecake, graham cracker crust, blueberry topping

Answer 8

LEMON CHIFFON CHEESE CAKE
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (18)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
2 c. cream-style cottage cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 teaspoon, and extract
1 c. heavy cream
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/8 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Combine Graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon. Blend in melted butter. Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9 in. springform pan. Reserve the rest of the crumbs for topping.
Soften gelatin in cold water. In a double boiler or saucepan, beat egg yolks slightly, stir in milk, and the remaining amount of sugar and salt.

Cook over hot, not boiling water, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken or coats the back of a spoon. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the softened gelatin. Add lemon rind. Cool to the consistency of thick honey, then beat until light and airy.

Mash the cottage cheese until there are no more lumps. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and almond to extract. Blend in the gelatin mixture. Whip cream until stiff. Fold into gelatin mixture.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold them in gently. Turn mixture out into the pan which was previously lined with Graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle top of mixture with reserved crumbs and finely chopped nuts.

Chill several hours or overnight. Serve with blueberry or strawberry sauce, pureed fruit, or canned peaches.

Answer 9

Go to www.Kraftfoods.com. They have some good recipes there. I'm partial to the Lime cheesecake...has a bit of a tart thing going for it. Add more limes, juice and zest than the recipe calls for.

Answer 10

Try the foodnetwork, lida's italian table, Maria Esposito, I'm sure one of these sites will have a great cheese cake recipe.