Southern Living Cheesecake Recipes

BUTTER PECAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust: Heat 1/2 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small skillet over medium; add chopped pecans, and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Finely chop toasted pecans.
• While pecans cool, preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap outside (bottom and sides) of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; coat inside (bottom and sides) of pan with cooking spray. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cooled toasted pecans, and remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture on bottom and 1-inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until crust is set and lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the Filling: Beat cream cheese in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add sugars and flour, beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in heavy cream and vanilla on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Pour filling over crust in prepared pan (it will be full).
• Place springform pan in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan on oven rack, and carefully pour in boiling water to reach halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake in preheated oven until center is almost set and jiggles slightly, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; remove aluminum foil. Let cheesecake cool until slightly warm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Prepare the Topping: Bring brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes. Stir in pecan halves and pieces. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Spoon warm topping evenly over slightly warm cheesecake, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around edges. Let stand until pecan mixture is set, about 30 minutes. Coat a piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover cheesecake; chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Run a knife around outer edge to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan; remove sides of pan.

PRALINE-CRUSTED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Cheesecake: Combine cookie crumbs and butter.
• Press into bottom and up sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approx 8 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Sprinkle coarsely crumbled pralines over crust.
• Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy duty electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
• Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
• Stir in whipping cream and lemon rind.
• Pour in crust.
• Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees on lower oven rack 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until almost set.
• Cool on wire rack 1 hour.
• Stir together sour cream and 1/3 cup sugar; spread over cheesecake.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Cover and chill 8 hours.
• Remove sides of pan.
• Garnish, if desired with pralines.
• Pralines: Butter bottom of a heavy 3-quart saucepan.
• Cook brown sugar and next 3 ingredients in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugars dissolve; stir in pecans.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees (soft ball stage).
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla; let stand 3 minutes.
• Beat with a wooden spoon 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
• Working rapidly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper.
• Let stand until firm.

SOUTHERN LIVING CHEESECAKE FLAN

Steps:

• Sprinkle sugar in a heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts and turns light brown.
• Remove from heat. QUICKLY pour hot caramel into a 9" round cakepan, tilting to coat bottom; set pan aside. (Caramel will harden and crack).
• Combine eggs and remaining 7 ingredients in a large food processor or blender. Process just until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.
• Pour custard mixture over the caramel syrup in cake pan.
• Place cakepan in a large shallow pan. Cover cakepan with aluminum foil.
• Add hot water to shallow pan to depth of 1".
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted off center comes out clean. (Center should still be slightly liquid; flan will finish cooking as it cools).
• Remove cakepan from water bath; cool flan completely on a wire rack (while still in cakepan).
• Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Loosen edges of flan with a spatula and invert flan onto a rimmed serving plate, letting caramel sauce drizzle over the top.

PINA COLADA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Stor together butter, graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans and sugar.
• Press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed with electric mixer for 3minutes or until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• Add pineapple, cream of coconut, sour cream, light rum and coconut extract.
• Beat until blended.
• Pour mixture into crust.
• Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• For Glaze: Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth.
• Combine cornstarch mixture with crushed pineapple, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
• Remove from heat and let cool completely.
• When glaze is cooled, spread glaze over top of cheesecake.
• Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.
• Garnish if desired before serving.

SOUTHERN LIVING CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and brown sugar.
• Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.
• Bake crust for 10 minutes, let cool on wire rack.
• For filling, beat cream cheese at a medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add sugar, beating well.
• Add eggs, on at a time, beating after each addition and scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed.
• Stir in sour cream and vanilla.
• Pour batter into prepared crust.
• Bake for 65 minutes, center will not be completely set.
• Turn oven off; partially open oven door, leaving cheesecake in oven for 1 hour.
• Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cover and chill at least 8 hours.