Cheesecake Supreme

I mentioned yesterday that I would post my recipe for Cheesecake, so here it is.  The first time I made this cheesecake was a special occasion.  A certain handsome Italian guy was coming for dinner.  It was our second date.  The main course was fondue, and cheesecake was what I served for dessert.   I topped it with strawberry glaze and sliced strawberries.  Turned out he loved cheesecake, but disliked strawberries, so he scooped all the lovely fruit and glaze off his piece.  In spite of the strawberries we got married a couple of years later.   ;-)

Since then it has been made for various family gatherings and special occasions.  I taught my little sister how to make it and my oldest niece.  It is now firmly entrenched as a family favorite.   And it will be dessert at our Easter dinner this Sunday.

(One of my sisters took this picture)

Here it is in the center of the dessert table at my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary luncheon a couple of years ago.  My little sister stayed up all night and made 3 of these cheesecakes for the event.  This one fell a little, but not bad for a 4 am cheesecake.  :-)   

Here is the picture from the cookbook. Doesn't that look wonderful?  It tastes as good as it looks!
(See a picture of the one I made for Easter here.  And a picture of the one Diana @ Bits and Pieces made here. )

Cheesecake Supreme 

 (From Better Homes And Gardens New Cookbook, 1962 Ed.)

A truly spectacular dessert. Filling’s smooth and creamy, the crust almost like a lemon cookie. On top, beautiful strawberry glaze and fruit.

Make Crust:

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 cup butter

1 slightly beaten egg yoke

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, sugar and peel.

Cut in butter til mixture is crumbly.

Add egg yolks and vanilla. Blend thoroughly.

Pat 1/3 of dough on bottom of 9 inch spring form pan, sides removed.

Bake in hot oven(400) about 8 minutes or til golden; cool.

Attach sides to bottom, butter and pat remaining dough on sides to height of 1 and 3/4 in.

Make Filling:   

5- 8oz packages cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 or 5 eggs (1 cup)

2 egg yokes

1/4 cup whipping cream

Let cream cheese stand at room temperature to soften (1 to 1.5 hours). Beat creamy.

Add vanilla and lemon peel.

Mix sugar flour and salt and gradually blend into cheese.

Add eggs and egg yokes one at a time, beating after each just to blend.

Gently stir in whipping cream.

To Bake:

Turn into crust lined pan.

Bake at 450 for 12 minutes;

Reduce heat to 300 and continue baking 55 minutes.

Remove from oven; cool.

Loosen sides with spatula after 1/2 hour.

Remove sides at end of hour.

Allow to cool 2 hours longer.

Glaze with Strawberry Glaze OR Pineapple Glaze and sliced fruit

Serves 12.

Strawberry Glaze  (this is the one I always use)

2 or 3 cups fresh strawberries

1 cup water

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

Crush 1 cup of strawberries; add the water and cook 2 minutes; sieve.

Mix cornstarch with sugar (amount of sugar depends on sweetness of berries);

Stir into hot berry mixture. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly.

Cook and stir till thick and clear. (add a few drops of red food coloring if needed.)

Cool to room temperature.

Place remaining strawberries atop cooled cheesecake; circle with halved pianaple rings if desired.

Pour glaze over over strawberries and chill about 2 hours.

OR

Pineapple Glaze   

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan; stir in pineapple juice and lemon peel.

Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boiling. Cook and stir until thick and clear. Cool to room temperature.

Cut canned pineapple rings in half; arrange spoke fashion around edge of cheesecake. Spoon glaze over; chill two hours.

Or, spoon glaze over top of cooled cheesecake and chill. Trim with fluffs of whipped cream centered with drained ppineapple chunks.

Notes:

 I like to double the dough recipe and then pat the dough all the way up to the top of the pan.    This bakes messy so be prepared to clean your oven afterwards. 

I always make the strawberry version.  And these days I leave all the toppings on the side and let each person top their own. 

This recipe was from my Grandma's 1962 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.