The Cheesecake Life

All of my life I have wanted to make the perfect cheesecake.  The cheesecakes have let me down many times.  But I have finally been rewarded my perfect cheesecake "Fresh Pineapple Cheesecake" from Cheesecake Extraordynaire by Mary Crownover available for sale on my Amazon storefront, www.amazon.com/stores/oneofakindcookbooks for $59.99 as a collectible.  With more than 100 sumptuous recipes for the ultimate dessert.

I am going to give you the recipe as it is, with a note: the crust calls for vanilla sandwich creme cookies that needed to be crushed & mixed with butter.  My opinion, too messy and a regular graham cracker crust would have worked just as well.  Also, there were many great recipes in this book, but I happened to have fresh pineapple to be used up.

 

FRESH PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE

Vanilla Cookie Crust

11 vanilla sandwich cream cookies, crushed

3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

 

In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies and melted butter or margarine till well combined.  Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch spring form pan.

 

Pineapple Filling

27 ounces  cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

5 tsp cornstarch

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed 

1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pineapple, cored, peeled and finely chopped

 

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch.  Beat with an electric mixer till smooth.  Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in pineapple juice concentrate, lemon peel and vanilla extract.   Stir in pineapple.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 225F and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny.  Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.  Turn the oven off; return the cake to the oven for an additional 1 hour.  Chill, uncovered, overnight.  Makes 12 to 18 slices.

 

I needed a whole evening to make this masterpiece.  I had a small bite to make sure it was edible for human consumption the next day and then froze for a gathering at my place this upcoming Saturday.

 

I can now say I made a "great cheesecake".

 

Happy Cooking!