Cheesecake Bake A Long...Part 1...The DoughDr September 10, 2022

Hello Bakers,

Summer is done and it’s time to gear up for fall baking. Our first September show focused on making a easy straightforward cheesecake recipe. It is a master recipe that is easy to customize. As I said in the show, I was determined to find a great cheesecake that did not have 19 ingredients in it and did not leave me with 3/4 of a carton of sour cream in the back of the refrigerator. I think you’ll love this for ease and it can be made with a food processor or a mixer - both methods are detailed below. But it is a great recipe to do in your food processor which I feel we really are under utilizing these days.

And speaking of the show - here is the link to Saturday’s show:

Preheat Oven 325

8” cake pan, spread with pan spread, line the bottom with a parchment paper circle or an 8” springform pan that is greased, (no parchment paper liner) and wrapped (triple wrap) in 3 sheets of aluminum foil to prevent leaks. Food processor fitted with the metal blade, spatula, scale, if baking in a cake pan - a creme brulee torch is very helpful for unmolding.

Larger pan to hold cake pan to create a water bath for cheesecake pan

Crust

100g graham cracker crumbs (takes about 7.5 crackers)
20g sugar
57g butter, melted

Pack a 1/8” thick layer of crumbs on the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Bake for minutes to dissolve and set the sugar and toast the crumbs.

Cheesecake

454g (2 packages) cream cheese
132g sugar
2 eggs, large (100g)
2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Flavor variations are after the method - along with larger ingredient amounts for 9” and 10” pans

Cut the cream cheese into small chunks. Let sit covered at room temperature for 1 hour
Put it in food processor fitted with the metal blade), add sugar
Process for 1 minute, scrape down and process for an additional minute
Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and process for 2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down and process 1 more minute. it should be nice and smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the water bath.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Turn the oven off (DO NOT OPEN) and let the cake sit undisturbed for 30 minutes.
Remove cake from oven and allow cooling 30 minutes before wrapping and wrap and store in the pan. Do not unmold until it is good and chilled.
Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight - keeps fine in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. May be frozen up to one month.
Unmold as per demo. - directions coming in Part Two…Next week’s episode

Flavor Variations: Chocolate cheesecake - add 3 ounces melted semi sweet or milk chocolate in the last minute of mixing - or until combined - may take another 30 seconds. Pumpkin cheesecake, increase sugar to 170g, add 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teas. cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ginger) Lemon Cheesecake, Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and the zest of 1/2 lemon. For extra lemon you can swirl in some lemon curd (1/3 cup) - homemade or store bought both work.

Mixer method:
Cut the cream cheese into small chunks.
Put it in the mixer with the paddle attachment.
Cream on low speed for 1 minute
Add the sugar – mix for 3-4 more minutes until smooth
Add the eggs 1 at a time – mix slowly at first.
Increase to medium speed to smooth out any lumps
9-10” Pan Amounts

Crust
113g graham cracker crumbs
22g sugar
57g sugar

Filling
680g (3 8 ounce packages) cream cheese
198g sugar
3 eggs (150g)
1 Tablespoon (14g) vanilla

Cream Cheese Icing for Warm Weather and Quick Red Velvet Cupcakes

Hello Bakers,
On Saturday’s show, I demoed a cream cheese icing that holds up in warm weather. It’s classic counterpart can be problematic once temperatures creep toward 80.

Here is the link to the show archive and demo: https://youtu.be/RITpC5kXwxQ

However stable or not - It is still cream cheese so it should not be out for more than four hours and leftovers must be refrigerated.

What makes this more stable - the solution was to remove the butter and stabilize the icing with a little gelatin. This icing is not super sweet. If this icing is not sweet enough for you add more sifted powdered sugar.

And following the cream cheese icing recipe is a quick and easy no mixer red velvet cupcake recipe. The one you need when you need cupcakes right away.

The request for a warm weather cream cheese icing came from one of our bakers - and I love taking on these challenges. So you have a baking challenge let me know and we will take it on. Happy Baking! Colette

Happy Baking! Colette

    Equipment: stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scale, sifter, spatula,  container and lid for chiling, small bowl for combining the gelatin and small amount of cream cheese icing.

• 16 oz full fat cream cheese (450 g), room temperature

• 1 cup powdered sugar (113g), sifted

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatine (7 g) I used Knox

• 35g ice water

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (8 ounces) whipping cream, min 35% fat (250 ml), chilled

         Instructions

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let sit for 5 minutes. It should look like applesauce. Place in the microwave for 10 - 15  seconds to melt the gelatine 

2. Add the cream cheese to the mixer bowl and cream for 2 minutes to soften.

3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Take a small amount of the cream cheese mixture and add the gelatine - mix until smooth. Now add the mixture back into the mixer bowl and mix on medium low speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

5. Change out the paddle for the whisk - scrape the paddle thoroughly.

6. Add the cream and start on low speed - and increase to speed to medium and then medium high.

 as the cream begins to thicken. Do not over whip. This takes about 2-3 minutes.

It should be thick and creamy but not be at icing consistency - it will thicken in the refrigerator.

1. Chill for a minimum of 20 minutes or overnight.

2. Soften with a spatula before using.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Makes 10)

Equipment: 2 large bowls, whisk, spatula, scale, cupcake pan lined with paper liners, measuring cup with spout.

Ingredients:

142g vegetable oil

113g buttermilk

187g sugar

50g eggs (1 lg eggs)

1 tablespoons red food coloring

3g white vinegar

3g  vanilla

160g all purpose flour

3g  baking soda

1g  fine salt1

10g Dutch process cocoa

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, buttermilk, sugar, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment paper, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

4. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Whisk until smooth but do not overmix

5. Transfer the cupcake batter to a large measuring  cup as it is easier to pour this batter than to scoop. Fill the prepared cupcake pans ¾ full. 6. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Mine took 23 minutes - I would check in 20 minutes and adjust. Cool completely before icing.

Nutella Semifreddo - DoughDr Episode from Saturday August 13, 2022

Hello Bakers,

Here is the recipe from Saturday’s episode. Ice cream without an ice cream maker. It’s rich, creamy and delicious. It may be difficult to not go back and get another slice.

There are three steps to making a semifreddo.
1.) Whip the cream and chill.
2.) Make the base and set aside to cool.
3.) Make the Swiss meringue and put it all together.

Semifreddo is basically a frozen mousse and when putting it all together - it’s always base, meringue and whipped cream at the end. You can also get creative and add texture, pieces of cookies and toasted cake scraps work well. The topped can be blanketed with chocolate curls - that’s always fun.

The flavors can be varied to - swap out the nutella for peanut butter and scatter in pieces of peanut butter cups. Almond butter or cashew butter would too.
That’s it - this is a perfect no bake for the dog days of summer when you want to make something delicious but the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove.

And, please tag me when you post photos of your bakes on Instagram @bakingwcolette. I love to see your beautiful bakes.

Nutella Semifreddo

Equipment: Stand or handheld mixer with whisk attachment, saucepan for double boiler, 2 heatproof bowls medium sized, whisk and spatula, scale, instant read thermometer, loaf pan lined with plastic wrap

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (340g)  heavy cream - cold

4 large egg yolks

¼  cup (50g) sugar 

1/2 cup milk (113g)

2 teaspoons vanilla (8g)

4 ounces (113g) semi sweet chocolate, chopped fine

½ cup nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread

2 large egg whites room temperature

¼ cup (50g) sugar

Whip the cream to medium peaks and put in the refrigerator.

Make the zabaglione - combine the egg yolks, sugar and milk over a double boiler and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens,it should almost double in volume and reach a temperature of 145/150 degrees. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Turn down the heat if necessary and use a dry towel to take the bowl off the double boiler.

Add the vanilla extract, chocolate and nutella with a spatula. The mixture should be smooth.

Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Whisk with a clean whisk until the mixture is 145 degrees. Remove from heat and attach the bowl to the mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute and then increase the speed to high and beat for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Fold the meringue into the zabaglione. Fold in the whipped cream until there are no streaks but the mixture is still light.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan, level the top with an offset spatula if necessary, cover and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

Unmold and serve. Smooth out any wrinkles on the surface of the semifreddo with a heated (hot water and then wiped dry) offset spatula.

Serve slices of semifreddo with a sauce of your choice or a fresh fruit garnish.

The semifreddo will keep in the freezer for 2 weeks.shelf life of semifreddo

Here is the link to the show archive: https://youtu.be/3alJbBsHvG8

Pavlova Finishing - DoughDr Episode Show Notes and Recipes...from 8/6/2022

Hello Bakers,

We finished up the Pavlova this week on the show. Here is the recipe for the delicious lemon curd and the chantilly cream plus a short video of how to put it all together.

Lemon Curd

Note: lemon curd was demoed in last week’s DoughDr Episode https://www.instagram.com/tv/CgppYCXDCIH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Equipment: saucepan, whisk, strainer, scale, medium bowl, small baking tray lined with plastic wrap, spatula, instant read thermometer

Ingredients:

100g fresh lemon juice
125g sugar
72g egg yolks (4 large)
Zest of one lemon
85g butter - softened

1. In the saucepan, whisk the lemon juice and sugar together until well combined, Add the egg yolks and zest. Whisk until smooth not foamy.

2. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the mixture begins to thicken but does not boil. Stir all the while.

3. The curd is done when the initial foamy created by whisking the ingredients together subsides, steam wafts off the surface and the the temperature of the curd is about 176-180 degrees.

4. Stran the curd into a medium bowl cool to 100 degrees and whisk in the softened butter.

5. Pour the curd onto the plastic lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap - there is usually enough to fold over the curd.

6. Chill for several hours or overnight. Lemon curd lasts for 5-7 days in the refrigerator - it does not freeze well.

   Chantilly Cream

   Equipment: chilled large mixer bowl and whisk, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or handheld mixer fitted with whisk attachment or standard beaters.

   Ingredients:

   1 cup, 8 ounces, 227g heavy or whipping cream
   2 Tablespoons, 1 ounce, 28g powdered sugar - sift before adding to cream
   2 tsp, 8g vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract

   1. Whisk the cream vigorously or use mixer until it has the consistency of Greek yogurt, add the sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until soft peaks form - taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.