On Sun 14 May 2006 09:38:16a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Michael?

> 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

Be even more gentle with shaping the crust. Leave the texture almost
"fluffy", then freeze it to set it before pouring in the filling.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
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