Cheese Cake

Here's a good recipe, make sure you read all the tips before you start, and start baking in the morning!  (:

Crust:

2 Cups of Chocolate wafer crumbs (about 32 wafers) or gram crackers

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

3-4 packages of cream cheese (depending on how thick you want it), softened (8 oz each)

1-1/4 Cups of sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup Whipping cream (use chocolate or add cocoa for a hint of cocoa flavor) 

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 Cup of miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided (opt) 

In a bowl, combine crumbs and sugar; stir in butter.  Press onto the bottom and  2 inches up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.  In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add flour and beat well.  Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined.  In a small bowl, combine whip cream and a generous amount of cocoa (opt if you are going for a chocolate flavor but not the a full on chocolate cheesecake).; let stand for one minute.  Add to cream cheese mixture with vanilla; beat just until mixed Stir in 3/4 Cups of chocolate chips (again optional).  Bake at 325 degrees  for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove side of pan.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. 

Yield: 12-14 servings

The trick with Cheese cake is how it's done, here's some great tips I received that can change the success of a cheesecake. Even if your cheesecake "cracks" it'll still  taste good. If you'd like to cover up the top, you can use a topping such as slightly sweetened sour cream, whipped cream, fresh fruit or preserves to hide any cracks.

PREVENT OVER-MIXING

*When mixing, be sure that the cream cheese has softened and the other ingredients are at room temperature. You can set out your ingredients the night before you plan on baking the cheesecake

*Before adding the eggs, beat other ingredients until smooth, scraping the side of the mixing bowl often to eliminate lumps . Then beat eggs into the mixture on low speed just until blended.  (If  too much air is beaten into the mixture, it will puff during baking, then collapse and split when cooled.)

GREASE SIDES OF PAN

*Grease the sides of the springform pan to help prevent the filling from cracking when the cheesecake cools.  (It will naturally pull away from the sides.)

WATCH TIME, TEMP

*Place the rack at the middle level of the  oven

*Check the accuracy of your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.  Cheesecake generally requires moderate temperatures (from 325 -350)

*Open the oven door as seldom as possible during baking, particularly during the first 30 minutes. Drafts can cause a cheesecake to crack.

*Do NOT use a knife to test for doneness, because it may create a crack in the top.  The center of a cheesecake (about the size of a walnut) should NOT be a completely set and will jiggle slightly when removed from the oven.  Retained heat will continue to cook the cheesecake, and it will become firm throughout.

COOL PROPERLY

*Cool the cheesecake for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Then run a sharp knife around the inside  edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake.  Do not remove the sides of the pan.

*Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack in a  draft-free location for 1 hour ( I use a towel over or keep it in the oven), then refrigerate it.  When completely cool, cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.  This allows the cheesecake to set and will make it easier to cut.  It also mellows the flavors and give a creamier texture to the cheesecake.

*Before serving , unlatch the springform pan and carefully remove the sides.  Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.