Michael wrote:

>I like making cheesecakes, but my crusts suck. They are much
>harder than what I want. I am using ratios of 1 cup crushed
>graham crackers, 3 TB sugar, and 3 TB butter. Maybe a little
>heavier on the butter and lighter on the sugar, but that's close.
>I mold the crust up the sides, so I usually triple or quadruple
>that amount to get about a 1/4 inch crust. I have tried molding
>gently rather than pressing hard. That helped some but not
>enough.
>
>I quit pre-baking the crust at all in order to reduce its hardness,
>but that hasn't fixed it. The recipe I use is pretty close to the
>New York Cheesecake that's inside the Philadephia Cream
>Cheese boxes. I underbake by about 15 minutes. Recipe
>calls for 65 minutes and I go for 50. Works for me.
>
>How do I make my crusts soft? Do you have a simple
>alternative crust I could try?
>
>Thank you, Michael
>
>
>
Try this, a Charmaine Solomon recipe called No Roll Pastry.

90gm butter
2 1/2 tbsp milk
pinch salt
1tbsp sugar if making sweet pastry
1 cup self-raising flour

Melt butter in milk. I do this in a large microwave jug which then
doubles as the mixing bowl. Sift in flour and sugar if using. Mix to
slightly sticky dough.

Now the fun part. You have this play-dough like substance and you have
to pat it out into the dish. At first you think you don't have enough,
but because it's warm it is expanding as you work with it and there's
plenty for even a 23cm tart tin. Work fairly quickly, because it's not
so pliable once it cools down.

You don't blind bake it, just put the filling - which can still be warm
- straight in. Give it 30 mins in a moderate oven. The resulting crust
is crunchy but never hard.

It's no good for lids because, of course, it doesn't roll. But it's
great in warm weather when pastry doesn't handle well.

Christine