The Perfect Cheesecake

by Marie Lasater, Guest Blogger

I’ve been in search of the perfect cheesecake for years – that rare cheesecake that cannot be found at The Cheesecake Factory, and certainly not at the local grocery store, AKA “Sara Lee.” The perfect cheesecake is a little dry to the palate, not creamy, and you can taste the cheese!

At the ripe old age of 57, after trying dozens of recipes that pretty much produced a flat cake that tasted like eggs, I found IT, the perfect cheesecake. And I stole it. The recipe, that is. And now I am going to share it with you.

My gorgeous friend Theo had an intimate little gathering at her place. The purpose was three-fold: Christmas, the launch of her new book, and running her new boyfriend through the gauntlet. On the table laden with a succulent smoked turkey and canapés and hors d’oeuvres of every description was an open spot. The spot was soon filled when Theo took the most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen out of her oven. I was speechless. The cake was a work of art, spilling over the sides of its spring-form pan, with a light brown crust and those noteworthy cracks on top of which only a “real” cheesecake can boast.

As I took my first bite, not only could I taste the cheese, my palate was exhilarated with the dry, yet crumbly feel of what I consider a true New York style cheesecake. I announced, “Theo, I must have this recipe!” She handed me a small piece of cardboard from a box with some instructions written on it. This Holy Grail proclaimed in Theo’s handwriting “this one.”

I grabbed that piece of cardboard, and as soon as I could, I took off to my own kitchen. Anxious to see if I could create the masterpiece, I followed the sketchy directions on that piece of cardboard.

Perfect Cheesecake

1 lb. cream cheese

24 oz. ricotta cheese

16 oz sour cream

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter -softened

3 tbs. flour

Make a graham cracker crust with graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, and press into the bottom of a spring-form pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Beat all the above ingredients, then add 4 lightly beaten eggs (I use farm eggs), 2 Tbs. lemon juice and 1 Tbs. vanilla. Pour into the spring form pan and bake at 375 degrees for 75 minutes.

This cheesecake is delicious plain, but if you are taking it to an event, I bring home-made preserves (peach, blackberry) and let folks add their own topping.

Birthday Cheesecake and a Birthday Pear

Bow is now eleven years old! His birthday was yesterday. If you would like to read about the celebration, you should check today's entry on Notes from the Pens. But if you're just interested in the food part of the celebration, then stay tuned.

The birthday cake was a cheesecake sampler, each piece a little different. I highly recommend cheesecake as a good choice for  those avoiding wheat based foods and those who don't want something quite as sweet as an ice cream birthday cake.  Bow chose a chocolate and nut covered piece of cheesecake. He had a great time eating it, though it was a little hard to slice with a spoon, as it had not quite fully thawed out. But you can see in the video that he had no trouble biting into it.

Another special treat that Bow had on his birthday was a luscious pear from the gift basket his uncle sent him for the occasion.

All in all, it was a birthday to remember, full of special treats and rare delicacies to please the palate of the most discerning eleven year old!