The Best Raspberry Cheesecake Ever!

So, this probably isn’t exactly the picture that comes to mind when someone says the word cheesecake, but this is the cheesecake from my childhood.  It was a rare treat we’d usually only get during raspberry season, but it's always been one of my favorite things.  I’ve tasted different varieties of cheesecake from all kinds of restaurants, even including the Cheesecake Factory, but none of them was ever as good as Mom’s.  Now I’m going to show you how to make it. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

Crust:
13 graham crackers
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter

Cheesecake:
12 oz. cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs

Fruit topping:
1 ½ cups juice
2 Tablespoons corn starch
½ cup sugar

First up, the crust.  Melt one stick of butter and set it aside.  Then, in a food processor or blender, grind the graham crackers into very fine crumbs.  Pour them into a 9 inch pie pan and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar.

Mix those ingredients together and pour on your butter.

With a fork, stir the crumbs and butter together until you get something that resembles wet sand.

Now, spread the crumbs evenly in the pan, and press them into shape.  I used a small measuring cup, which has a flat bottom and is the basic shape I want for the edges as well.  If you don’t have measuring cups like these, be creative.  I’m sure you can find the perfect tool somewhere in your kitchen. 

Now, place the crust in the fridge and preheat your oven to 325°.  It’s best if all the ingredients for the filling are at room temperature, so pull them out several hours ahead, or even the night before will be fine.  Put the cream cheese in a bowl and mix until it’s nice and smooth.  Then, add the lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar.

Mix those together, and you’ll end up with something like this. 

As evidenced by the glops of unincorporated cream cheese, this bowl and beater need to be scraped down. 

Ah, that’s much better.  You’ll want to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, along with the beater, several times throughout this process.  So, where were we?  Oh yes, time for the eggs.  I like to crack mine into a separate little dish and add them from there.  Not only does it give you a chance to pick out shells if you get them, but it’s also the perfect place to pick the white goobers off of the yolk.  Yes, my mom assures me that goobers is in fact, the scientific term for those things.  And yes, I do remove them from every egg I use.  You all were starting to wonder where I get these magical eggs that don’t have goobers, but really, it’s just a bit of my OCD showing.  Now that we’ve covered that, add your eggs, one at a time, to the mixture.  Make sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. 

Scrape and mix a few times until everything is nice a smooth, then pull out your pie crust and pour in the cheesecake mixture. 

Pop it into the oven and bake for 40 minutes.  There will still be a bit of jiggle factor when you remove it from the oven, but it should all move the same.  If the center is softer, give it a few more minutes of cooking time. 

As you can see, mine had a couple big air bubbles, but not to worry.  Those will be completely covered soon enough.  For now, leave it to cool for an hour or so before starting on the fruit topping.  If it doesn’t have time to cool down, the steam it gives off during that process will cause the cheesecake and fruit topping to separate.  For the filling, the first thing you need to do is wash your berries.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen tv chefs just open the container and dump them in.  Personally, I’d like to get rid of as many bugs as possible.  Be gentle, though.  Raspberries are fragile. 

Now for the sauce.  Put your sugar and cornstarch in a pan and whisk them together.  This ensures you won’t have any lumps of cornstarch. 

Pour in your juice and turn the heat to medium.  I used a mixed berry juice.  You can use whatever flavor you like, but the closer you can get to raspberry, the better. 

Stir, making sure you get all the way into the corners of your pan, so you don’t miss any of the cornstarch.  Keep stirring until the mixture just comes to a boil, then turn off the heat.  Add the raspberries and stir gently. 

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to give the raspberries a chance to give off whatever liquid they’re going to, then stir it once more, and pour it over the top of your cheesecake. 

Place the whole thing in the fridge and allow it to chill for several hours.  Don’t rush it.  For me, it’s best to do this right before bed. 

Mmmmmm.  Cheesecake for breakfast.  What?  It’s fruit and cheese and… ok, it’s cheesecake, but it’s fabulous, whenever you eat it. 
 

Millions of Peaches... Peaches For Me.

So, I was walking through the grocery store the other day when I suddenly collided with the most amazing aroma.  You know what I’m talking about… that smell that makes you stop, dead in your tracks, and search out its origin.  You may even utter something like, “Oh my god, what is that smell?  I must eat that!”  If I said that to Hubby, he’d think I was talking about the air outside that amazing barbecue joint, but I’m not.  I refer, of course, to fruit.  And in this particular instance, peaches.  Sweet, juicy, perfectly ripe, fragrant peaches.  Did I care that they were selling them by the case and I couldn’t possibly eat them all within their short period of peak deliciousness? 

Nope!  I just had to figure out creative ways to use them, and since my kitchen is still a work in progress, jam was out of the question.  So, here are just a few of the ways I came up with to enjoy them. 

As you can see, I am actually using the not fuzzy variety, usually called a nectarine, but either will work just fine.  For most applications you’re going to start the same way.  Wash and dry the fruit, then carefully cut all the way around its vertical axis.

Holding both sides, gently twist the peach to release the flesh from the pit. 

Pull the halves apart, and carefully remove the pit with your thumb.  The hardest part is to not bruise the fruit in the process. 

The first dish I made is something I grew up eating.  Peaches and milk.  Yes, I know it’s traditionally peaches and cream, but in my house, it was peaches and milk.  It’s a delicious, simple dish that can be eaten for breakfast, or for a snack anytime.  Start by peeling and dicing a peach. 

Pour on some milk.

Sprinkle on a little sugar.

And dig in!

Next is another breakfasty, snacky, kind of dish.  A yogurt parfait.  It requires only three ingredients. 

Diced peach
Yogurt (I like vanilla)
Granola

I like using granola bars rather than regular granola, mostly because I’m more likely to actually eat granola bars.  Just make sure you get the crunchy ones, then you can just smash them up with something heavy.  I used the handle of a butter knife.

See how cool that is? 

So, drop in a few diced peaches.

Add ¼ cup or so of yogurt.

Sprinkle on some granola. 

Repeat.  Beautiful peach and yogurt parfait. 

The next creation requires a few ingredients, but it’s simple, refreshing, and delicious.  Peaches and cream soda. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Peach
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon cream
1 scant cup ginger ale

One peach will make enough puree for 2 or 3 sodas.  Peel and slice your peach, then throw it into the blender with the sugar, vanilla, and lime juice.  You should end up with a nice, smooth puree.  I’m using 12 oz. glasses, so adjust if you’re using larger ones.  For this size, pour ¼ cup of puree over a few ice cubes, then slowly add the ginger ale. 

It’ll fizz a lot, so be patient.  When you’ve filled the glass just about to the top, add the cream.

You can serve it like that, and let your guests stir it themselves, or you can stir it so everything comes together. 

We’ve done a few things using the peaches fresh, so it’s time for a warm dish, and it’s definitely time for dessert.  How about some caramelized peaches with ice cream? 

You’ll only need a few things.

2 – 4 peaches
2 Tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Really good vanilla ice cream  
Chopped almonds

Halve and peel your peaches and set them aside.  In a skillet melt the butter, sprinkle on the sugar, and stir in the water.  Heat over a fairly low heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Turn up the heat to medium high and add your peaches, cut side down. 

Basically you just have to stand back and watch, but do spoon the liquid over them occasionally.  Allow them to cook for about 6 minutes or so.  When they’re ready they should just be starting to brown on the bottom and look something like this. 

Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.  Then spoon one or two halves into each dish, top with ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce from the pan.  Sprinkle on some chopped almonds, and you have peach perfection. 

So let’s recap with some close up, peach porn.  First was the peaches and milk.

Then the peach and yogurt parfait.

Next was the peaches and cream soda. 

And last but certainly not least, caramelized peaches with ice cream. 

I gotta be honest, even after all that work, I still think nature does it best.  There’s just nothing better than biting into a slice of fresh peach.  Lusciously sweet.  The juice running down your chin.  It’s like summer’s last hoorah as we head toward fall. 

Which fruit’s aroma lures you into buying it by the case?