Tag Archives: cheesecake recipe

Liz’s Birthday Baklava Cheesecake

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Baklava Cheesecake

 

 

I was talking about baklava with a friend and he suggested I make a baklava cheesecake. It sounded fabulous, but I didn’t know where to start. I started looking online and ended up with a recipe that was a mix of a couple I’d found. The crust is where the baklava comes in, with layers of buttered phyllo dough and nuts. After the cheesecake filling is baked, it is finished with a  traditional honey syrup. Decadent and actually fun to create.

Since a dear friend’s birthday was coming up, I decided to  make it for her birthday party. So I made it. And I was happy with how it looked. Fingers crossed, they’d like the taste, too. It was a huge success. I was worried about how it would slice. I had placed a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the springform pan and I was worried it would tear and end up in the slices I was serving. It worked fine, although a small amount of the crust stuck to the parchment. the parchment did not get into the pieces I served. I think the next time I make one I’ll either leave the parchment out and grease the pan or grease the parchment.

The layering of the phyllo was also pretty easy. Once you get your rhythm it goes pretty fast. The goal is to get the sheets evenly distributed in the pan with the extra brought up around the cheesecake after the filling is added. I hope I described it clearly in the directions. This is clearly a dessert for special occasions and for the special people in our lives. Well worth the effort.

So here is the recipe. Happy birthday to Liz.  Special thanks to David for the inspiration and helping me serve it.

 

Baklava Cheesecake

Crust:

20 phyllo sheets

1 c. (2 sticks) melted butter

1 c. pistachios finely chopped or ground

1 c. almonds finely chopped or ground

½ c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

 Filling

1 lb. cream cheese, room temp

1 c. sugar

½ t salt

1 T. vanilla

½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temp

1 T. lemon juice

zest of a lemon

two large eggs, room temperature

Honey Syrup

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup honey

Pinch of salt

1 t. lemon juice

Topping

2 T. chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 325 F. Prep a 9 or 10- inch springform pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. You can also lightly spray the pan (bottom only) or spray the  parchment with cooking spray for easier release. I had some issues with a little of the bottom crust sticking to the parchment. Most of the crust came out just fine, but I might not use parchment the next time. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and ground nuts and set them aside. In a bowl, beat together the sugar, vanilla, salt and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and lemon juice and zest and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and mix in to just combine. Set aside. Make the crust. Melt the butter. Get your prepared pan. Then begin layering the first ten sheets of phyllo: place the first sheet so it mostly covers the bottom of the pan but also comes up and folds over the side of the pan. Brush with butter all over then place the second sheet so it also covers the bottom but only partially covers the top part, covering the first sheet only halfway. Do this with ten sheets for the bottom layer, arranging each a bit over the sheet before covering the whole pan as evenly as possible.  After you have the tenth sheet down, brush with butter and sprinkle on half the nut mixture. Layer 5 more sheet of phyllo on top like you did with the first 10 sheets still brushing each layer with butter and layered a bit over each time to cover the whole pan evenly. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture then repeat the process with another 5 sheets of phyllo. Pour the prepared cheesecake filling into the center of the unbaked phyllo crust. Bring up the sides of the phyllo that were laying over the edge into a ruffled shape If it tears, it’s fine. Don’t cover the whole cheesecake. Just around the edges. You want to see the filling in the middle. .

Bake the cheesecake on a sheet pan to capture potential spills. Mine didn’t leak, but play it safe. Bake until the cheesecake only jiggles a bit in the center, for about 60-70 minutes. While the cheesecake is baking, make the syrup: in a small pot set the water, sugar and honey (and a pinch of salt if you are like me and can’t help yourself) to cook on medium low heat. Stir so the sugar dissolves then cook it for about 5-7 minutes, until it is slightly thickened (but still pourable). Off the heat, add  lemon juice. On a personal note here, for some reason I used the smallest sauce pan I own and the syrup boiled over. I had just cleaned the stove top to make it more upsetting. Don’t be like me. Use a small saucepan, but at least a 1 quart capacity.  When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over the cheesecake around the sides rather than the center of the cheesecake. Add the chopped pistachios to the top of the pie. Let cool and then chill in the fridge overnight. Store in the fridge, serve cold. Serves 10 easily.

 

Sliced baklava cheesecake

layering the crust

ready to bake

right out of the oven

 

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Lemon Cheesecake Squares

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Lemon Cheesecake Squares

I recently made these cheesecake squares. It had been awhile since I had them. I forgot just how good they are. Between the crust and lemon cheesecake topping there is a layer of raspberry jam. They are just so good. As an added bonus, they are also very easy to make.

This is a slightly non-traditional cheesecake. For starters, the crust is oatmeal-based not graham cracker. This cheesecake is also not baked in a spring form pan, but in a 9×13 inch pan.

Like other cheesecakes, they can be frozen.

So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Crust

¾ c. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

1¼ c. flour

1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking

¼ t. salt

Filling

½ c. raspberry jam

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

2 T. flour

2 eggs

3 T. lemon juice

2 t. grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar then stir in rest of crust ingredients. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Crust should be golden around the edges. Spread jam over hot crust. As the jam warms it get easier to spread. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in juice and peel. Pour over jam and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge.  Makes 24 squares.   

Spread jam over warm crust
Top jam with lemon cheesecake batter
Right out of the oven

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Peach Cheesecake Squares

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Peach Cheesecake Squares

I love peaches and I love cheesecake. Never thought to combine them before. Wow, what a great dessert!! With peaches in season, it seemed like the perfect time to make it.

This recipe was inspired by a post I saw about a place that makes peach cheesecakes. I decided to make a less traditional cheesecake. I used a 9×13 baking dish instead of a springform pan. I also ended up making the cheesecake in layers. Let me explain.

I baked the crust a little, then added the cheesecake layer to bake. I was trying to figure out the best way to add the peaches. I decided to put them on after the cheesecake was baked, so I cooked them while the crust and cheesecake layers were baking. The crumb topping was an afterthought. I wanted some texture and just put that together at the end.

The result was a really good dessert. Enough peaches. Light and rich at the same time. I will most definitely make it again.

So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!

Peach Cheesecake Squares

Crust

¾ c. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

1¼ c. flour

1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking

2 t. cinnamon

¼ t. salt

Cheesecake Layer

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

2 T. flour

2 eggs

2 T. vanilla

2 t. cinnamon

Peach Layer

5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, about 5 cups prepared fruit

2/3 c. sugar, or a little less

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. cinnamon

4 T. cold water

2 T. cornstarch

Crumble Topping

1½ c. rolled oats

½ c. butter

¼ c. brown sugar

3 T. flour

2 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar, then stir in the rest of crust ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake layer. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. While filling is baking, prep peaches. Combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peaches are softened. Stir off and on to keep mixture from sticking. Combine cold water and cornstarch. Stir until smooth and pour into peach mixture. Mixture will thicken up. Stir until mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare crumble topping. Mix all ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Place on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. You can do this while the cheesecake is baking, to save time. Let the cheesecake cool a few minutes. Then spoon over the peaches. Spread evenly and let it cool for 30 minutes. Spread the crumble mixture over the peaches. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge. Serves 12. Can be frozen.    

Fresh Baked Crust
Peach Topping
With Crumble Topping
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Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Updated on date by author
Lemon Cheesecake Squares

We made these cheesecake squares in cooking class last night. It had been awhile since I had them. I forgot just how good they are. Between the crust and lemon cheesecake topping there is a layer of raspberry jam. They are just so good. As an added bonus, they are also very easy to make.

This is a slightly non-traditional cheesecake. For starters, the crust is oatmeal-based not graham cracker. This cheesecake is also not baked in a spring form pan, but in a 9×13 inch pan.

Like other cheesecakes, they can be frozen.

So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Crust

¾ c. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

1¼ c. flour

1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking

¼ t. salt

Filling

½ c. raspberry jam

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

2 T. flour

2 eggs

3 T. lemon juice

2 t. grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar then stir in rest of crust ingredients. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Crust should be golden around the edges. Spread jam over hot crust. As the jam warms it get easier to spread. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in juice and peel. Pour over jam and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge.  Makes 24 squares.   

Spread jam over warm crust
Top jam with lemon cheesecake batter
Right out of the oven
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Peach Cheesecake Squares

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Peach Cheesecake Squares

I love peaches and I love cheesecake. Never thought to combine them before. Wow, what a great dessert!! With peaches in season, it seemed like the perfect time to make it.

This recipe was inspired by a post I saw about a place that makes peach cheesecakes. I decided to make a less traditional cheesecake. I used a 9×13 baking dish instead of a springform pan. I also ended up making the cheesecake in layers. Let me explain.

I baked the crust a little, then added the cheesecake layer to bake. I was trying to figure out the best way to add the peaches. I decided to put them on after the cheesecake was baked, so I cooked them while the crust and cheesecake layers were baking. The crumb topping was an afterthought. I wanted some texture and just put that together at the end.

The result was a really good dessert. Enough peaches. Light and rich at the same time. I will most definitely make it again.

So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!

Peach Cheesecake Squares

Crust

¾ c. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

1¼ c. flour

1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking

2 t. cinnamon

¼ t. salt

Cheesecake Layer

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

2 T. flour

2 eggs

2 T. vanilla

2 t. cinnamon

Peach Layer

5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, about 5 cups prepared fruit

2/3 c. sugar, or a little less

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. cinnamon

4 T. cold water

2 T. cornstarch

Crumble Topping

1½ c. rolled oats

½ c. butter

¼ c. brown sugar

3 T. flour

2 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar, then stir in the rest of crust ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake layer. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. While filling is baking, prep peaches. Combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peaches are softened. Stir off and on to keep mixture from sticking. Combine cold water and cornstarch. Stir until smooth and pour into peach mixture. Mixture will thicken up. Stir until mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare crumble topping. Mix all ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Place on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. You can do this while the cheesecake is baking, to save time. Let the cheesecake cool a few minutes. Then spoon over the peaches. Spread evenly and let it cool for 30 minutes. Spread the crumble mixture over the peaches. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge. Serves 12. Can be frozen.    

Fresh Baked Crust
Peach Topping
With Crumble Topping
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Blueberry Lime Cheesecake

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Blueberry Lime Cheesecake

This recipe combines limes and blueberries for a cheesecake that is perfect for summer. The citrus pairs well with the berries. I had made this cheesecake before, with the blueberry puree swirled into it, but without the lime. I have often used lemons and blueberries together, but not limes so much.

I had a few extra limes in the fridge that I had picked up at a local market, so I decided to try them out in this cheesecake. I thought the limes would be a nice addition this time.

I must say, I really like the flavor  the lime zest and juice adds to this dessert. Adds a nice zippy flavor. Leftovers can be frozen. But let’s be honest, there aren’t going to be any leftovers!!!

Blueberry Lime Cheesecake

Blueberry Puree

1 ½ c. blueberries

¼ c. sugar

2 t. cornstarch

1T. fresh lime juice

Crust

1c. graham cracker crumbs

2 T. sugar

2 T. melted butter

Filling

3 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

8 oz. sour cream

Zest from 2 limes

Juice from 1 lime

2 t. vanilla

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 T. flour

For puree, combine berries, sugar and cornstarch in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Puree in blender with lime juice and cool completely. For crust, combine crumbs, sugar and butter and set aside. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of 9 or 10-inch springform pan and bake 10 minutes.  For filling, beat cream cheese until fluffy and beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla, zest and lime juice. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and pour batter into springform pan.  Drizzle blueberry puree over batter and use a knife to swirl it around. Place a roasting pan on lower rack of oven and fill with one inch of boiling water. Place springform pan on upper oven rack.  Bake 1¼ hour or until just set. Turn oven off and let cake stand in oven 1 hour more. Remove pan from oven. Cool down and refrigerate overnight. Remove pan side before serving. Serves 12.

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Classic Cheesecake

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Classic Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts around, and for good reason. It is rich and satisfying in a way no other dessert can be. I make a lot of different cheesecake recipes, and this is one of my favorites. Simple to make, with all the creamy denseness you expect in a classic cheesecake. You can leave it plain to serve, or top with sour cream, as suggested in the directions, or top with fruit, preserves, shaved chocolate. Well, you get the idea. Have fun, get creative.

If you get cracks in your cheesecakes, try buttering the pan before baking. It will help to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan, reducing cracks. Also, don’t over mix the eggs. Just stir them in.

    Classic Cheesecake

1/3 c. butter

1 ¼ c. graham cracker crumbs

¼ c. sugar

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

¼ c. lemon juice

8 oz. sour cream

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Combine butter, crumbs and sugar and press firmly into the bottom of a lightly buttered 9-inch springform pan. In a large mixing bowl beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Stir in eggs and juice and mix well. Pour into prepared crust and bake 50-55 minutes or until set. Cool completely then spread sour cream over the top. You can omit the sour cream, or add different toppings.

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Peach Cheesecake Squares

Posted on date by author
Peach Cheesecake Squares

I love peaches and I love cheesecake. Never thought to combine them before. Wow, what a great dessert!! With peaches in season, it seemed like the perfect time to make it.

This recipe was inspired by a post I saw about a place that makes peach cheesecakes. I decided to make a less traditional cheesecake. I used a 9×13 baking dish instead of a springform pan. I also ended up making the cheesecake in layers. Let me explain.

I baked the crust a little, then added the cheesecake layer to bake. I was trying to figure out the best way to add the peaches. I decided to put them on after the cheesecake was baked, so I cooked them while the crust and cheesecake layers were baking. The crumb topping was an afterthought. I wanted some texture and just put that together at the end.

The result was a really good dessert. Enough peaches. Light and rich at the same time. I will most definitely make it again.

So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!

Peach Cheesecake Squares

Crust

¾ c. butter

1/3 c. brown sugar

1¼ c. flour

1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking

2 t. cinnamon

¼ t. salt

Cheesecake Layer

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

2 T. flour

2 eggs

2 T. vanilla

2 t. cinnamon

Peach Layer

5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, about 5 cups prepared fruit

2/3 c. sugar, or a little less

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. cinnamon

4 T. cold water

2 T. cornstarch

Crumble Topping

1½ c. rolled oats

½ c. butter

¼ c. brown sugar

3 T. flour

2 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar, then stir in the rest of crust ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake layer. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. While filling is baking, prep peaches. Combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peaches are softened. Stir off and on to keep mixture from sticking. Combine cold water and cornstarch. Stir until smooth and pour into peach mixture. Mixture will thicken up. Stir until mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare crumble topping. Mix all ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Place on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. You can do this while the cheesecake is baking, to save time. Let the cheesecake cool a few minutes. Then spoon over the peaches. Spread evenly and let it cool for 30 minutes. Spread the crumble mixture over the peaches. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge. Serves 12. Can be frozen.    

Fresh Baked Crust
Peach Topping
With Crumble Topping
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Balaton Cherry Cheesecakes- Gluten Free

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Balaton Cherry Cheesecakes- Gluten Free

Balaton Cherry Cheesecakes- Gluten Free

I was having some friends over recently and wanted a gluten free dessert. I was also lucky enough to have recently received some frozen cherries from King Orchards in Michigan.* Inspiration struck and I ended up making these mini cherry cheesecakes. The crust is a shortbread type cookie made with gluten free flour. The filling pretty straight forward with a nice splash of lemon juice and vanilla. The cherries are a variety called Balaton with Hungarian origins. While they are considered a tart cherry they are darker than most tart cherries and have a sweetness to them that I just love. I used 2 cups of frozen cherries-I like a lot of cherries on my cheesecake- but I only used 2 tablespoons of sugar to sweeten them. The recipe made a dozen. Here is what I did.

Balaton Cherry Mini Cheesecakes – Gluten Free

Crust:

1/4 c. softened butter

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. gluten free flour – found in some grocery stores- I got mine at Costco

pinch of salt.

Filling: 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. lemon juice

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Balaton Cherry Topping:

2 c. Balaton cherries- or other frozen tart cherries- thawed

2 T. sugar, or to your taste

1 t. tapioca starch- you could also use cornstarch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12 muffin pans with paper or foil liners. In mixing bowl combine ingredients for crust by first mixing the butter and sugar together and then stirring in the flour and salt. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll into balls. Place one ball in each paper lined pan and press to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes. While crust is baking make the filling. Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and blend until smooth.  Stir in the eggs. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans- they will be pretty full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffy and set. Cheesecakes will flatten a little when cooled. While the cheesecakes are baking you can make the cherry topping. Pour off any liquid from the defrosted cherries into a small saucepan. You should have about half a cup. Add sugar and tapioca starch or cornstarch and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture thickens- it just takes a few minutes. Stir in the cherries and allow mixture to cool down. Once cheesecakes and topping are both cooled down spoon cherries over the cheesecakes and chill until ready to eat. These could be frozen- but you aren’t going to have any left over.

*http://kingorchards.com/

 

 

 

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