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CHEESECAKE DESSERTS
An elegant finale to any dinner

Montrachet Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2-3 tablespoons cold water
1 log (11 oz.) Montrachet blanc goat cheese, at room temperature
2 packages of cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/8 teaspoon dried, crumbled.
3/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter and shortening. Add the water to moisten. Gather the pastry into a ball, add a little water if any flour doesn't adhere. Flatten into a 6-inch disc and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll pastry out to a thin 14 inch diameter circle. Place in an 11-12 inch tart pan with removable bottom, fitting the pastry against the sides and trimming any overhanging edges. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover the pastry with foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake 30 minutes; remove foil and weights and bake 5 more minutes. Beat together Montrachet and cream cheese gradualy adding eggs. Blend in the rosemary. Should be a light fluffy mixture by now. Fill the warm pie shell with cheese mixture, sprinkle with pine nuts and bake for 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Amaretto Mousse
(no-bake)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or melted margarine
1 envelope knox unflavored gelatine
1/2 cup cold water
3 packages (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese,softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whipping or heavy cream, whipped

Combine graham cracker crumbs with butter.Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch springform pan; chill. In small saucepan sprinkle gelatine over cold water; let stand 1 min. Stir over low heat till completely dissolved, about 3 min; set aside. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese with sugar till fluffy, about 2 min. Gradually beat in gelatine mixture, liqueur and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust; chill 8 hours or overnight.Garnish with chocolate sauce and berries.
12 servings

MANDARIN ORANGE CHEESECAKE
1 store bought graham pie crust, or other
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sugar for (glaze)
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons cream
2 8oz. cans mandarin oranges
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Using a mixer, blend cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, zest and cream till smooth. Pour mixture into a pre-made pie crust. Refrigerate long enough so the top is fairly firm. Top with 1 can orange slices (without juice). Crush the remaining orange into sauce pan with 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Cook oon medium heat till it becomes translucent and thick. Pour cooled glaze over the top of cake and put back in refrigerator about 2 hours.

KAHLUA MARBLED
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs (12 gingersnaps)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (11 squares)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1-pound can pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

Preheat oven 350.In bowl combine gingersnap and graham cracker crumbs with powdered sugar and melted butter.Press evenly onto bottom of 8-inch springform pan. Bake for 5 min. Cool, but keep oven on.
In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to seperate bowl and blend in pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and coffee liqueur. Pour half of pumpkin-cream cheese mixture into prepared crust. Top with half of remaining plain cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers, using remaining pumpkin and plain cream cheese mixtures. Using knife, cut through layers with uplifting motion in four or five places to create marbled effect. Place on baking sheet and bake for 45 min. Without opening oven door, let cake stand in turned-off oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool, then refrigerate.
12 servings

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate sandwich creme cookies (about 18)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cookie crumbs with butter, pat firmly in bottom of 9" springform pan. In mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In bowl toss together 1/2 cup choc. chips with flour to coat, fold into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chips evenly over top.Bake 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool ti room temperature. Chill. Remove side of pan to serve.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE
1 cup graham cracke crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped California walnuts
1/3 cup butter, melted sugar
3 8oz. packages cream cheese
6 eggs
2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cherry Topping
Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl with fork, mix first 3 ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar. Press mixture firmly on bottom and around side of 9" by 3" springform pan to within 1 1/2 inches of top.
In large bowl with mixer at med. speed, beat cream cheese till smooth; slowly beat in eggs and remaining ingredients except Cherry Topping. At med. speed, beat 3 minutes.
Pour mixture into pan; bake 1 hour or until lightly browned. Turn off oven; leave in oven 30 minutes. Remove, cool, cover and chill.To serve: remove side of pan. With large spatula, loosen cake from bottom of pan; slide onto plate. Spoon Cherry Topping evenly over cheesecake
Cherry Topping: 1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling. Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.

PUMPKIN-PECAN CHEESECAKE
1 1/4 cups shortbread cookie crumbs (about 10 cookies)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 16-oz. can pumpkin
4 eggs
16 pecan halves
3/4 cup whipping cream
powdered sugar optional

Preheat oven 350.Mix crumbs and butter. Press evenly into bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
Bake 10 min; cool. Reduce heat t0 300. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon,ginger and cloves in large bowl till smooth and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in eggs, one at a time, on low speed. Smooth over cooled crumb layer.
Bake about 1 hour and 15 min. or until center is firm. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours till chilled.
In a frying pan, cook remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and pecan halves over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and pecans are coated. Immediately spread on dinner plate or foil; cool. Carefully break apart nuts to seperate, if necessary.
Loosen cheesecake from side of pan; remove side of pan. To serve, beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl until stiff; sweeten to taste with powdered sugar, if desired.Serve cheesecake with whipped cream; garnish with pecans. Refrigerate any leftover cheesecake, may freeze up to 2 months.
Serves 16

LIGHT AND LUSCIOUS STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
(with fresh strawberry sauce)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (21 squares)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 15-oz. carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, seperated
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3 pint baskets strawberries, hulled, (9 3/4 cups)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup red currant jelly, melted

Heat oven to 300. In a medium bowl, mix crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of lightly greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
In a bowl beat ricotta till smooth. Stir in sour cream, blending thoroughly. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust; smooth top. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; cool in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven; chill thoroughly.
Meanwhile, make sauce. In blender puree 6 1/2 cups strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice; strain sauce to remove seeds. Cover and chill. To complete cake, halve remaining 3 1/4 cups strawberries; arrange on top of cake. Brush strawberries with jelly. Cut cake into wedges; serve with sauce.

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY CHEESECAKE
(from the 1950's)
5 eggs
2 lbs. cottage cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 pint heavy cream
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Crust- 1 package zweiback crackers, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup melted butter.
Crush zweiback, add sugar, cinnamon and softened butter. In a springform pan, push up on sides of pan (about 1 inch) and spread even and flat on bottom. Put other ingredients into blender (or mixer) till smooth then pour in crust.Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325. When finished, do not open oven till completely cool. Refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
3/4 cup butter
all-purpose flour
sugar
3 yolks
5 8oz. packages cream cheese
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 8oz. package semisweet-choc.chips melted
whipped cream for garnish (optional)
1.In smallbowl with mixer at low speed, beat butter, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg yolk until dough is well mixed; cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
2.Preheat oven to 400. Press 1/3 of dough into bottom of 10-inch springform pan; reserve remaining dough in refrigerator. Bake bottom crust 8 minutes; cool. Turn oven control to 475.
3.In large bowl with mixer at med. speed, beat cream cheese just until smooth. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and rest of ingredients except milk till blended. At high speed, beat 5 minutes.
4.Press reserved dough around side of pan to within 1 inch of top; do not bake. Pour cheese mixture into pan; bake 12 minutes. Turn oven control to 300; bake 50 minutes. Turn off oven; leave in oven 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes, refrigerate, covered. Garnish with whipped cream. This is excellent!

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