After eating at TGI - Friday's and having their cheesecake, I was on a mission to find a recipe for it....Here are several variations I will delete the ones that I don't like as I try them to end up with my favorite.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
3 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Beanilla Vanilla Paste)
Cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too – baker’s choice. Set crust aside.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and alcohol (if used) and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water. (I didn’t want to risk water getting into my springform pan so I just put a pan of water on the rack underneath my cheesecake.)
5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.
Notes/Tip: When I make cheesecakes I always try to use a waterbath; however, I have had issues with water seeping into my foil wrapped pan. This seepage has really pissed me off on a couple of occasions, so I decided to remedy the issue by placing the foil wrapped cheesecake pan in an oven bag before placing it into the water. I have also used crock pot liners and they worked just as well. I also let the cheesecake completely cool in the oven, this really seems to help with the cracks…in fact I have not gotten a crack since.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/2 oz/56g) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 10-inch springform pan.
2. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar until finely ground. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes, or until browned around the edges.
3. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Place in refrigerator until ready to use later in the recipe.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese at low speed with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the vanilla seeds just until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and the almond extract. Slowly beat in the cream until smooth. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until lightly golden and slightly jiggly in the center.
5. Remove the sour cream topping from the refrigerator and immediately it over the cheesecake and smooth the surface. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature. Run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the cake and remove the ring. Refrigerate the cake for 3 hours, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.
TGIF’s vanilla bean cheesecake is “made with real vanilla beans and layered with white chocolate mousse and shavings. Baked in a vanilla graham–cracker crust. Served with a fresh strawberry.” I used cheesecake recipe above as the base and added the white chocolate mousse layer on top. This is a very creamy cheesecake not a dense overly rich one.
WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
4 ounces white chocolate baking squares, melted
beans from one vanilla pod
In a cold mixing bowl beat cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla beans and beat until stiff peaks form. Put this in a bowl in the fridge. In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream.
After the cheesecake has cooled spread the mousse evenly on top. Refrigerate several hours before serving.
Cheesecake Factory Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (clone)
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup ground pecans if you have them
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake Filling:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 vanilla beans
4 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix together the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and ground pecans if you have them. Add the butter and mix well. Press evenly into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time and then the flour and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and heavy cream, beating on low speed until it is all combined.
Split open vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and guts inside the bean. Add to batter. Save split beans to garnish the top of the cheesecake. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the middle of the oven until set - about 55 to 70 minutes; the center should be slightly soft. Remove from the oven, loosen the outer ring and let cool in the pan. Refrigerate the cake for about 6 hours, then remove the outer ring. Top with the vanilla beans and a sprig of green such as a peppermint leaf.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
As a trademark of the famous Junior's Cheesecakes, this cake has a sponge cake crust. Although it takes a few more steps to prepare the sponge cake, I find the outcome more than worth the effort it demands. Even if you are a hardcore cookies crust fan, I encourage you to give it a shot. Either way, the real star here is the cheesecake filling speckled with vanilla beans. The original recipe has the vanilla flavor infused by sticking the vanilla pod in the sugar overnight, and uses vanilla extract in the filling. I pumped up the vanilla flavor by scraping out the morsels and added them into the batter after the overnight infusion.
Adpted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook
- four 8-ounce packages Philidaphia Cream Cheese (I use 3 packages of 1/3 less fat Neufchtel and 1 package of original cream cheese), at room temperature
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean (about 7 inches long)
- 1 recipe 9-inch Junior's Sponge Cake Crust, recipe below
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra large eggs ( 3 large eggs are fine too)
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- confectioners's sugar
The night before you plan to make this cake, put the granulated sugar in a small bowl and bury the vanilla bean in it, covering it completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight to flavor the sugar. When you are ready to make the cake, set the vanilla bean for later use.
Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F)Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springformpan. Wrap the outside with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of vanilla flavored sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3cups vanilla sugar, then the scraped vanilla beans and vanilla extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.
Place the cake on a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch u the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let the cake cool for 2 hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.
Wash and drain the raspberries and place them on paper towels to dry, if using. Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Put some confectioners' sugar in a tea stainer and sift enough over the top of the cake to evenly cover it with a fine dusting. Decorate the top with raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate, or remove the decorations, wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
Junior's sponge cake crust
for one 9-inch cake crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (or zest of half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
for one 8-inch cake crust:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I used zest from half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outsde with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Beat the eggyolks in large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.
Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.
Now wash the bowl and beaters really well (even a little fat is left, this can cause the eggwhite not to whip). Put the eggwhites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remainining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. It's ok if you see a few white specks, they will disappear during baking.
Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet and sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.
Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Crust
Use the above recipe and technique, except you stir in 2 ounces of melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate when you add the extracts.
Chocolate Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels
10 soft caramels
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1. Combine morsels, caramels and evaporated milk in medium heavy-duty saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until morsels and caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Note: If any sauce is left over, cover and refrigerate; reheat in heavy saucepan over low heat.
Dark Chocolate Caramel Sauce
adapted slightly from The 1997 Joy of Cooking
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon sized slices
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp kosher salt or more to taste
Place sugar in a small heavy saucepan and pour water over the top. Place the pan over medium high heat and gently swirl the pan by the handle until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear. Do not let the syrup boil until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar is all dissolved turn the heat to high and cover the saucepan for 2 minutes, the syrup will boil. After 2 minutes uncover the saucepan and continue to boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until it begins to get dark around the edges. Once it starts to darken swirl the pan continuously until the syrup is deep amber and starts to smoke. Immediately remove the pan form the heat and add the butter.
Gently mix the butter in with a heatproof spatula or whisk. Once the butter is fully incorporated stir in the heavy cream. If the sauce becomes lumpy, heat over very low heat while stirring until it is smooth and promptly turning off the heat when it is smooth again. (Mine became lumpy but rather then heating I just kept stirring and it smoothed out).
Add the finely chopped chocolate and stir until it is melted and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Serve warm on ice cream, cake, fruit, poached fruit, crepes, waffles, a spoon or old boot leather. If refrigerated it can be re-warmed in a microwave oven or with the storage jar set in a pan of simmering water. Should keep in the refrigerator for 1 month.
**To make chocolate caramel truffles reduce the butter to 4 Tablespoons and refrigerate the sauce. When cold spoon out teaspoon sized balls and roll them in cocoa powder
Chocolate Dulce de Leche (Chocolate Caramel Sauce)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
1. Place the dulce de leche in a microwave-proof bowl with the chocolate chips and the butter.
2. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then remove and stir.
3. Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Let cool, and stir in the vanilla.
Chocolate Sauce makes great gifts!!
