Cheesecake: the classic dessert craving. The richness of sweetened cream cheese meets a pie crust and becomes heaven for the tongue. But cheesecake suffers from two flaws: it's often dense as a rock and the density can lead to somewhat of a sugar rush.
What if I told you that this Thanksgiving, you could have your cheesecake but have it be light and fluffy, too? Join me as I deviate from my usual diary fare to bring you this step-by-step on how to turn cream into delicious mascarpone cheesecake with a graham-cracker/pecan crust, a dish I make for true cheesecake lovers on special occasions. :)
Mascarpone is a soft Italian cheese with its roots dating back to late 16th century Milan. While you can buy it at the store, it's generally very overpriced and not nearly as good as homemade mascarpone, which is surprisingly easy to make. In addition to being good in a cheesecake, when sweetened it makes for an excellent fruit dip, and it's the main component of the topping of real tiramisu (many knock-offs simply use whipped cream).
For this cheesecake recipe, you will need the following:
2+ quarts cream. The older the cream, the better it works, surprisingly.
1-2 cups sour cream (optional)
Tartaric acid / cream of tartar (amount varies by taste)
7 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar + 1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 sleeve graham crackers (your choice of flavor)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (save yourself the time, pick them up pre-chopped. The more chopped/crushed they are, the better)
1 stick butter or margerine, slightly softened.
Fruit or chocolate for a swirl, if desired
1 tbsp vanilla
Cooking utensils include, preferably:
Collinder
Springform pan (can substitute other baking pan if needed)
Beater (or you can do it by hand)
1-2 bowls
1 gallon-sized cookpot
First you'll need to make the cheese. While it may sound complicated, it's actually surprisingly easy, and breaks down to 1) cook the cream, 2) add the tartaric acid, 3) cook it a little more, and 4) drain it overnight.
You will need to start the cheese at least one day before you make the cheesecake, as it needs time to drain. Heat 2 quarts of cream on medium heat, optionally substituting 1-2 cups sour cream for 1-2 cups cream if you want it to be tangier (traditional mascarpone is made from slightly soured cream). Watch regularly and stir occasionally.
Once cream begins to froth, but before it begins to boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and add the tartaric acid. Tartaric acid (also called "tartrate" in its crystalline forms) is a byproduct of producing grape juice and wine; when fresh-squeezed grape juice is allowed to chill for a day or more, tartate crystals precipitate from the solution. I use tartaric acid from my own grape vine. You can get pure tartaric acid online, or you can use cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is a half neutralized form, so you'll need to use twice as much and you may need to omit the salt in the cheesecake recipe (as cream of tartar has a slightly more saline flavor). Tartaric acid is of mixed health benefit; it is a mild, short-term muscle toxin, but also an antioxidant. How much to add depends on on how tangy you want your cream, as it is very sour, almost lemony. A minimum would be about a half teaspoon tartaric acid per quart of liquid, but I prefer much more, about 1 tablespoon tartaric per quart of liquid. This gives the cheese a rich, tangy flavor.
Stir in the tartaric acid and continue stirring occasionally for 30 minutes (less time if the cream is older). Do not allow it to boil or it may burn. After 30 minutes, strain through a lined collinder. Be sure to line the collinder all the way up to the top. For first timers, I recommend having a bowl beneath the collinder to collect the cream that drips through; if you messed up and it didn't separate enough, you can add some more tartaric acid and cook it for longer, giving yourself a second chance. In terms of the lining, I would recommend using one layer of paper towel or a double layer of fine cheesecloth if you can see curdled flecks in the cream, and two layers of paper towel if you can't.
Let the collinder drain overnight. What you find inside the morning should be soft mascarpone cheese. It will thicken with refrigeration. If you feel it needs to drain more, I would recommend draining it in your refrigerator so it doesn't go bad. If you wanted a fruit dip, all you'd need to do right now is beat in sugar and perhaps a little vanilla, but this mascarpone is destined for even better things!
When your cheese is ready, measure it into your mixing bowl. If you're lucky, you'll have about 6 cups. If not, reduce all of the following ingredients accordingly. Beat in 7 eggs, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Yes, if you guessed that this one has a long baking time you're right -- but it's worth it!
Now it's time to make the graham-cracker/pecan crust. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix 1 stick butter, one sleeve graham-crackers (crushed), 1 cup pecans, and 1/4 cup sugar. You can also do this in your springform pan directly.
Add to the springform pan. You'll need to press it along all sides of the pan; this takes a bit of practice, and at first, it'll seem like you don't have enough. I find it most convenient to start at the edges, making them as thin as I can while still covering the whole edge. I then press the extra that accumulates at the base of the edge out toward the middle, and then press out the middle. If you simply do not feel you can cover the entire pan, or you want a thick crust, you can increase the amounts of all ingredients in the crust recipe without problem.
Pour the cheese mixture into your crust. If you want to add a chocolate or fruit swirl, lay down three parallel stripes of your add-in. Do not mix it in!. Instead, simply try to make the stripes become uneven/wavy and to push some of the material in the stripes down to the depths.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1.5 to 2 hours. Use the "wooden toothpick" test to see if it's done ("if a wooden toothpick goes in and comes out clean, it's done"). Unlike with a traditional cheesecake, the top will puff up and brown slightly. The resulting dish is soft, fluffy, and oh-so-tasty. For aesthetics, shortly before serving, drizzle with thin lines of chocolate or caramel sauce that overlap the cheesecake and reach out onto the serving platter.
Can we still kick it up another notch? You bet we can! For what if you have extra cream left over? Why, you can make homemade whipped cream. This stuff isn't as stable as store-bought whipped cream, but the taste isn't even in the same ballpark. For every cup of cream, add a quarter cup sugar, and (optionally, but preferably) a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. Beat until light and fluffy. And if you have any extra mascarpone and really want to make it a killer topping, gently fold the mascarpone into the mix (add sugar as necessary to maintain sweetness). Decorate cheesecake as appropriate or serve on the side.
When done, you'll have a dish like no other. Don't expect it to last long around cheesecake fans!
(Notice: Sorry for the lack of a finished product photo. I made my cheese last night and will make the cheesecake tonight, but wanted to go ahead and get the diary up since Thanksgiving is approaching fast. I will update the diary as soon as I can get a photo)