CHEESECAKE

Once in a while I have a craving for cheesecake and satisfying that craving would depend on where I was at that moment. I have had cheesecakes that were good, some that were so-so, many were just disappointing. I guess the best cheesecake that I have tasted so far was the one from The Cheesecake Factory in Chicago. My aunt and I went with a group for a day trip into Chicago and close to the time that we were supposed to head back to our bus from the trip back, I spotted The Cheesecake Factory shop with a long queue outside. I just had to taste their cheesecake so I fell in line intending to order one to go. The Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel I brought back was just to-die-for; it was well worth the time I spent queuing.

So when I saw a friend post a photo of cheesecake that she had made, I decided to try and make one too. I had to tweak my friend’s recipe according to the ingredients that I had on hand. Here’s the recipe I followed for my cheesecake.

Crust

1 cup crushed Graham crackers

½ cup melted butter

Combine the crushed Graham crackers and melted butter until the crackers are thoroughly wet. Spread the crumb mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate, pressing evenly. Chill for 10 minutes.

Filling

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese (softened)

1 8-oz pkg heavy cream

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 eggs

Mix and cream the cream cheese and cream. Add sugar and cornstarch. Beat the eggs into the mixture. Pour over the pie crust. Bake at 350-degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Top with your favorite fruit topping. I used a mixed berry topping. Chill (if you can stand the waiting); otherwise just enjoy!
- M


Food Photo Details: Nikon D50, Sigma 18-50mm, 1/40, F5.3, Natural Window Lighting
- D