The Cheesiest
2.19.2008
Let's get right down to it: I married well. Very well. And for a large variety of reasons, too, not the least of which are my husband's continual (and amazing) love and care toward me AND all the fun we have together every single day. Yes, these are just a few of my favorite things about my beloved. But there is another perk to being a Pensiero. Ahh, yes, the perk of a lifetime:
cheesecake.
That's right, folks. The Pensieros have a cheesecake recipe that is completely drool-worthy. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners take on a whole new aura.
Now, as it is not my recipe, I am never responsible for making the dessert of honor and thus I have never really had occasion to do so. Oh sure, I have the recipe in my family recipe box thanks to my lovely mother-in-law, but I've never ventured as far as taking it out of said box and doing something with it. Mostly out of fear and intimidation. But a few weeks ago, as Valentine's day approached, I decided that now was as good a time as any. After making the crust and whipping up all the cheesy ingredients, I poured the batter into the springform, only to find that it was rather full. (Wouldn't it rise a bit in the oven?) Eerily full. (Maybe it won't rise very much...) Worrisomely full. (I hope the gas oven doesn't burst into rogue flames when the cheesecake rises.)
After 30 minutes in the oven and a brief consultation with my father-in-law (he's the cheesecake recipe inheriter and chef), I decided that it would be all right, that it would not spill out into my oven helter skelter. But what I could not decide was how long I should cook the little puppy in my overly eager oven. This oven cooks EVERYTHING in half the time, at 50 degrees lower than suggested. Seriously. It's Dante's Inferno in there.
So, I just gave it my best shot. Having never made any cheesecake before, I had no idea how to test it for it's doneness. The only indication I had was the top, and that was browning like my italian husband on a summer day. And considering my oven's lack of consistency, I knew I couldn't trust the timing on the recipe card. So what did I do?
I winged it. And you know what? It wasn't terrible. I mean, the center was rather soft, but the outer edges were FULLY fork-edible. We left that cheesecake in the pan and went to town (pictures misplaced).
And that's the cheesecake saga.
That's right, folks. The Pensieros have a cheesecake recipe that is completely drool-worthy. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners take on a whole new aura.
Now, as it is not my recipe, I am never responsible for making the dessert of honor and thus I have never really had occasion to do so. Oh sure, I have the recipe in my family recipe box thanks to my lovely mother-in-law, but I've never ventured as far as taking it out of said box and doing something with it. Mostly out of fear and intimidation. But a few weeks ago, as Valentine's day approached, I decided that now was as good a time as any. After making the crust and whipping up all the cheesy ingredients, I poured the batter into the springform, only to find that it was rather full. (Wouldn't it rise a bit in the oven?) Eerily full. (Maybe it won't rise very much...) Worrisomely full. (I hope the gas oven doesn't burst into rogue flames when the cheesecake rises.)
After 30 minutes in the oven and a brief consultation with my father-in-law (he's the cheesecake recipe inheriter and chef), I decided that it would be all right, that it would not spill out into my oven helter skelter. But what I could not decide was how long I should cook the little puppy in my overly eager oven. This oven cooks EVERYTHING in half the time, at 50 degrees lower than suggested. Seriously. It's Dante's Inferno in there.
So, I just gave it my best shot. Having never made any cheesecake before, I had no idea how to test it for it's doneness. The only indication I had was the top, and that was browning like my italian husband on a summer day. And considering my oven's lack of consistency, I knew I couldn't trust the timing on the recipe card. So what did I do? 
I winged it. And you know what? It wasn't terrible. I mean, the center was rather soft, but the outer edges were FULLY fork-edible. We left that cheesecake in the pan and went to town (pictures misplaced). And that's the cheesecake saga.
This entry was posted
on 2.19.2008 at 2:57 PM.
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February 22, 2008 at 9:34 PM
First of all I love cheesecake and appreciate all the wonderfulness that it is. Second of all I loved your post! It made me feel as if I was reading a tidbit from The Smitten Kitchen. You are fabulous my friend.