TWD - Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

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The Tall and Creamy Cheesecake was chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry. You can find the recipe on pages 235-237 of of Dorie Greenspan's book Baking From My Home to Yours. Or, you can hop over to Anne's blog and check for it there.

Since the beginning of time, chefs all over the world have blended cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, ricotta cheese, and eggs together trying to concoct that perfect cheesecake. The one that will beat all others. If you are like me and you visit a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, you will be in awe of all the different kinds to choose from. I think the famous New York cheesecake has no added ingredients, just more of a plain version.

First, let me say that although I am not a fan of cheesecake, I've made plenty of cheesecakes in my day and all of them good. Just last week I made a raspberry ricotta cheesecake and it was very tasty. I've never used the water bath method, so I chose to skip over that for Dorie's cheesecake. The batter looked so light and fluffy! I also did not venture out from Dorie's recipe except to use half sour cream and half heavy cream, and I used cinnamon flavored graham crackers for the crust.

I think all cheesecakes crack a bit on top, but oh sweet Moses, mine had a more of a crater than a crack (only around the edge of it though)! Is there a seismologist in the house? Or speaking of Moses, remember the parting of the Red Sea? Trust me, the parting of the waters, the crack on my cheesecake - VERY similar.

Although my cheesecake is not very pretty, and could be considered a disgrace to cheesecake bakers all over the world, it tasted great.

History: According to What's Cooking in America, in 1929 - Arnold Reuben, owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City, claimed that his family developed the first cream-cheese cake recipe. Other bakeries relied on cottage cheese. According to legend, he was served a cheese pie in a private home, and he fell in love with the dessert. Using his hostess’ recipe and a pie she made with ingredients he provided, he then began to develop his own recipe for the perfect cheesecake. Reuben soon began to serve his new recipe in his Turf Restaurant, and the cheesecake quickly became very popular with the people who frequented Reuben’s Broadway restaurant.

Now guess what the yankee got me for Christmas? A shiny new violin! Yes, you read correctly. Can I play the violin? Nooooooooo. But I can learn. I can't wait!