Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

As you can see, this is a well decorated platter with just an 8x8 inches of simple cheesecake bars...a total of 4 large pieces, with the ends trimmed off, but every thing is in the "decoration"...the "presentation"...otherwise, it would be just a simple Cheesecake Bars, if not for the above mentioned...and of course, most important, the "platter"...Originally, I was going to do the next guest post for Lora's blog, with this easy dessert, but she is home now, from her huge surgery, and is getting her strength back little by little. I was at her house making this dessert, and both Teresa, and her husband Domenico kept asking me..."che fai?" What are you doing? ...because I was trying to uplift my photography skills, by enhancing the shots, at every different angle. It certainly helps when you have a nice camera, and a pint of gorgeous fresh, and perfectly ripened strawberries.

Instead of having the glaze on top of the overturned strawberry slices, I added the jam glaze directly on the cooled cheesecake bars, and sprinkled powdered sugar over the top of the strawberries, overlapping on the cheesecake, and on the platter...within a few minutes, the strawberries get their own natural glaze, just from the sugar...the rest is "trick photography!"...my theory...you aim, shoot, and hope for the best!

Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
my own recipe

For the Crust:
2 cups of vanilla wafers ground
1/4 cup butter (1 stick) melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the wafers in a food processor to make 2 cups. Add sugar, and grated orange, stir in the melted butter, just to moisten evenly, and press into a large non-stick tart pan, with a removable bottom.
Use a large soup spoon to press down, and not with your fingers, or hand, (so butter does not get too pressed into the crust) Also, do the same on the sides of the tart pan. Bake crust for no longer than 15 minutes, and follow the topping, and filling process.

Filling:

8 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
(at room temperature)
1 cup of sour cream (at room temperature)
7 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and let it overhang about two inches. Spray the bottom with cooking spray. Mix the cookie mix with the butter and sugar, and pat down into the baking pan with about an inch around the sides. Mix the filling ingredients in a food processor, or blender for about a minute or two till blended and creamy, and pour the filling right over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and lower the temperature to 325degrees and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes till it gets a little color on the top. Cool, and glaze with melted strawberry jam. Just heat about 1/4 cup of strawberry, or other seedless berry jam, adding the juice of 1 lemon. Spread on cooled bars. Let it chill, and lift out from pan for easy cutting. Garnish with fresh berries. Such an easy, and delicious cheesecake bars, with or without berry topping. It is more dense, than actual cheesecake, but the same taste, especially with the glaze, and topping. Enjoy!

I'm linking this to: Swathi-Hearth and Soul Hop #43

New York Style Cheesecake

I decided to re post my New York Style Cheesecake from this summer, just about when I started my blog. The actual reason I'm posting it is, because I lent my digital camera to my daughter, so she could upload her photos that she took with my camera. Yesterday, I made my good old fashioned meat loaf, and a yummy apple SALSA...

 
Recipe...adapted from the JOY OF BAKING

New York Cheesecake:
Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan.  Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.  Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan.  Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For Filling: 
In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour.  Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling.  Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan

to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).
Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating.  This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.
Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.
Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.
To freeze: 
Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm.  Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag.  Seal and return to freezer.  Can be frozen for several months.  Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Adapted from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary Crownover.

Crust:

2 cups (200 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons (35 grams) all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Tips:  Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks.  To help prevent this from happening do not over beat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar. 
Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake.  Your cheesecake is done when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet. 
Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.