Lazarus Cheesecake Recipes

MARBLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch spring form pan.
• If needed, use a rolling pin with the cookie crumbs in a sealable plastic bag to crush them. Blend the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, press it into the bottom of the pan, and chill.
• In a mixer with a whisk attachment, place the softened cream cheese and whip it. Add the sugar and continue to mix until blended. Add the flour and salt and blend. Add the yolks and eggs gradually, scraping in between then add the vanilla. Add 3/4 cup of the sour cream and mix in. Take off 2 cups of the mixture and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sour cream with the cooled melted chocolate then whisk it into the reserved 2 cups of filling. Pour a layer of the vanilla filling into the bottom of the pan about 1-inch thick. By large spoonfuls, alternate the 2 fillings to fill the spring form pan. Using the flat face of an icing spatula, swirl the 2 batters slightly to marbleize it.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 250 degrees F and bake for 1 more hour. Then, turn the oven off and let it cool in the oven 1 hour. The cake will still shimmy, but it is done, it will set up as it chills. Refrigerate the cake overnight. Remove from the spring form pan, slice with a hot, dry knife, and serve.
• Notes about the recipe: I had to make 6 cheesecakes a day when I was pastry chef at the Strathallen Hotel in Rochester New York. Just to rotate them halfway through the baking was a major production. I didn't have may own baking oven so had to use the ones on our very busy hot line. It was a trick just to keep the guys (cooks) from changing the temperatures on my ovens because they always last them to 500. And then to get them to move so I could kneel in front of the ovens to juggle the cakes around...forget it. So I'd have to yell out "ROTATE!" and get everyone away from the oven while I kneeled in front of them to do the rotation ballet of hot shimmying cheesecakes with dry towels (a hot commodity in kitchens). My knees on my chef's pans were always dirty and that was why.

OUR BEST CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix graham crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Top with pie filling before serving.

LEMON SUPREME CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients. In ungreased 9-inch springform pan, press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side. (For best results, do not use dark pan.)
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in 1 cup whipping cream, the lemon peel, lemon juice and salt until smooth. Pour into crust-lined pan.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until set but still slightly jiggly in center. Cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Carefully run knife around side of pan to loosen, but do not remove side of pan. Cool 1 hour 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir lemon curd to soften mixture; spread evenly over top of cheesecake to within 1/2 inch of edge. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, remove side of pan. In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe whipped cream around edge of cheesecake. If desired, garnish with lemon peel. Store in refrigerator.