Damaeus wrote:
>
> In news:rec.food.cooking, "Pete C." > posted on Fri,
> 26 Nov 2010 20:53:31 -0600 the following:
>
> > Damaeus wrote:
> >
> > > Sometimes I like pizza without crust so I can focus on the taste of
> > > the toppings without a crust to distract, but I'm not sure I'd call it
> > > pizza if it didn't have a crust. I think that might be a casserole.
> > > Still, I'm not offended by the idea of cheesecake still being called
> > > "cheesecake" even without a crust.
> >
> > Bad analogy, a cheesecake doesn't require a crust to hold it together,
> > while pizza toppings do.
>
> LOL
>
> > > Hmmm... I wonder what it would be like if I used 3/4 cup of heavy cream
> > > instead of 3/4 cup of milk in the cheesecake.
> >
> > Richer no doubt. My recipe doesn't use any milk or cream, sour cream is
> > the closest match.
>
> The one I use has a cup of sour cream, as well as 32 ounces of cream
> cheese, 3/4 cup of milk, four eggs, vanilla and sugar.
>
> > > My third cheesecake will be made in a water bath. My friend's mom put
> > > in an order for a cheesecake for Christmas. Anyway, I baked it at 350
> > > degrees for an hour, then turned the oven off without closing the door
> > > and left it there for eight hours. I then took it out of the oven and
> > > chilled it in the fridge for the next fourteen hours.
> >
> > Presume you mean without opening the door. That long cooling down
> > extended bake is essential, but a bit of a pain when you have other
> > items competing to get into the oven.
>
> That's what's nice about having two ovens.

I have two, I need more The stove has a large main convection oven
and a smaller regular side oven, but when I do a big dinner like my
T-Day I could really use an additional double wall oven... also an
additional refrigerator, but I can use coolers and ice for that.

>
> > > I took a picture of it after it had been setting up for five hours in
> > > the cooling oven. Notice there are no cracks in it. There were no
> > > cracks after eight hours, and no cracks after chilling for fourteen
> > > hours:
> > >
> > > http://home.earthlink.net/~damaeus/i...cheesecake.jpg
> > >
> > > I did put a pan of water in the oven on the bottom rack. I used the
> > > same method for the first attempt at this cheesecake and had a very
> > > small crack on each side. I think the added moisture from the steam
> > > of the lower pan kept the cracks from forming at all this time. Next
> > > time I'll put the pan directly into the water bath.
> >
> > I'm not sure that's really it, sometimes I get cracks and sometimes I
> > don't, with no changes in recipe or technique. The cracks may be related
> > to the phase of the moon or something.
>
> From what I've researched, overbeating, overbaking, and cooling too
> quickly will all cause a cheesecake to crack. And I imagine if you don't
> grease the sides with something, as the cheesecake shrinks, the sticking
> to the side while shrinking toward the middle will also cause cracks.
> Cracks don't taste bad, but I like the way it looks without them.

Yea, they are also a pain if you want to decorate the top. Of course a
nice fruit glaze can smooth out the top.

>
> > > The cheesecake I bake has a definite texture and "crumb" to it since
> > > it contains ricotta cheese. That texture is one of the features I
> > > like about the recipe vs. something like NY style which I find is
> > > often rather "gluey".
> > >
> > > Gluey is the adjective I'd use to describe the cheesecake made with a
> > > Jell-O cheesecake kit.
> >
> > I'll take your word for it, since I try to avoid those.
>
> I don't have to try to avoid them. I nearly hiss like a vampire when I
> see them. I've had them before, years ago before I made my first
> cheesecake, but I don't think I could eat one today without a lot of
> dissatisfaction. I would only eat something like that at someone else's
> house, and just to be nice.

Yep.

>
> Anyway, I didn't use ricotta in mine, but I think if I had, the whole
> thing would have had the same texture as the edges.

Possibly, it definitely has a different texture, and interesting
combination of "cream" and "crumb" that I really like.

>
> > > Yes, on my third attempt, I should get cheesecake perfection because
> > > (a) I will use a water bath, and (b) I already planned to pour the
> > > water boiling hot, straight off the pot on the stove into the pan
> > > holding the springform pan. I may need to get another pan, come to
> > > think of it, because I don't think I have one deep enough to hold a
> > > springform pan unless I use one of the big soup-type pots I'd use on
> > > the stove.
> >
> > I use a big Calphalon roasting pan when I make creme brulee, it's around
> > 4" deep, so it should work for a water bath for most any pan.
>
> I made creme brulee tonight. I've only had creme brulee once before and
> it was made by the "executive chef" at an Italian restaurant where I used
> to work. It wasn't on the menu, but he made it for the staff. Anyway his
> creme brulee left me thinking creme brulee was something other than what
> most recipes seem to produce. His had a very sweet, brown syrup of some
> type on the top of it that was very tasty. His creme brulee was more
> "custardy" than what I ended up with. Mine turned out to be creamier like
> a pudding. It was still pretty jiggly when I took it out of the oven,
> leaving me wondering if it had cooked properly.

Odd, every creme brulee I've had or made has been very soft and creamy
and the caramelized sugar crust on top crunchy. The one you describe
sounds more like creme caramel.

>
> I used Alton Brown's recipe here with a few modifications.
>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...ipe/index.html
>
> Since I didn't have a vanilla bean, I used a teaspoon of Mexican vanilla.
> I probably should have used a little bit more.

I nearly always add more vanilla than a recipe calls for. It's mostly
alcohol so it will cook off any not really affect consistency.

> And I added two
> tablespoons of rum. And I was about 1/3 cup short on heavy cream so I
> made up for it with 1/3 cup of whole milk. And I didn't have "vanilla
> sugar" so I used plain old sugar. And my ramekins are smaller than his so
> I was able to get eight servings instead of six. I did use a water bath,
> too, though I think I got the water a bit higher than halfway up the
> ramekin.

I frequently make banana creme brulee with some banana liquor, and
garnish with some fresh banana slices and a dab of whipped cream.

>
> Well, I can't really say all this was a failure. I was a little squeamish
> thinking I might not have gotten the egg yolks in it cooked completely. I
> wanted to give a couple of these to an elderly couple across the highway,
> but if the eggs aren't cooked completely, I'd hate to be the one that
> makes them sick.
>
> And finally I have to say that these might "custardize" some more, I
> suppose. I admit not being able to help myself. I went and got one and
> ate it an hour before the chilling time was complete, and without
> scorching the sugar on top. I may be able to reply later and say they
> actually turned out great.

It does continue to cook as it cools. Mine normally come out looking not
quite set and end up fine after cooling and chilling. You can always use
Pasteurized eggs to make it if you're worried.

>
> I don't have a torch so I'll have to use the broiler to scorch the sugar.
> Hopefully the 30 minutes they sit out before being scorched will give the
> glass time to warm up so they won't crack under the broiler. I don't know
> how much ambient heat glass can stand when it's been chilled in a fridge.
> I'm probably worried over nothing.

I use ceramic ramekins and haven't cracked any yet. I also use a
Bernz-o-Matic TS4000 trigger start torch with a MAPP gas cylinder, don't
bother with the little "creme brulee torches", get the big 'un at Depot
or Lowe's for the same price and more power and flexibility.