Cheesecake

My husband loves my cheesecake. And my cheesecake is my favorite. Probably because I can make it a bit more lemony than the ones available here. Honestly, I'm not yet fully satisfied with the texture of my cheesecake (because I want it a little more fluffy) but my husband finds it perfect so I guess you'll also be fine with this recipe, especially if you are more into the texture of unbaked, moist cheesecake. :)

We started this cheesecake craze when my husband's co-worker invited the two of us to his place one Sunday to a special harvest-whatever-you-want vegetable and flower farm. We were thinking of something especial to bring and I think I suggested 'cheesecake'. We didn't have an electric mixer then so we did it manually-- first trying with a salad dressing mixer I bought at a 100-yen shop and eventually depending on the muscles of the most handsome mixer-- my husband. ^________^

You'll also notice in this recipe that I used margarine instead of butter. I would have preferred to use normal cooking oil (like I did when I was once just craving for my lemony cheesecake and it went out fine). But since I cooked this to give as a present, although I know it's not really healthy, I used margarine because butter is also... well, financially unhealthy. :P

blueberry cheesecake

LEFT: This is the cheesecake I baked using my husband as my mixer. This is also my second time to make cheesecake (the first one was 4-5 years ago) but fortunately, my husband's co-worker's family liked it! Or maybe they were just being polite. ^_^;

Ever since my first cheesecake passed my husband's standard, it has become our habit to give it to his co-workers whenever we're invited to their homes. However, I never had the motivation to standardize it or even just write a recipe because for me, baking, especially cheesecake, is like a calming ritual. I just feel the ingredients and play with it, usually while on an Indian sit or something, on our freshly-vacuumed floor.

Then last week, we decided to make mothers' day and fathers' day cakes to bring to his hometown. And my husband said sweetly, "Won't you make a recipe of your cheesecake so that I can also make it when I want to?" So came the birth of this recipe. :)

Ingredients

• preferred cookie base, 250 g
• margarine, 60-70 g
• vanilla (optional)

• cream cheese, 600 g
• margarine, 50 g
• egg, 3 large pieces
• cream, 5 tbsp
• vanilla, 1 tsp
• 100% lemon juice, 3 1/2 tbsp
• hotcake mix, 4 tbsp
• sugar, 150 g

・Makes three 14cm-diameter X 3cm-height cakes

As for the preferred cookie base, in this recipe, I used 150 g fruit granola and a pack of 100 g cigarette cookie. I've also used cornflakes + cigarette cookie as base and the traditional 100% crushed graham crackers before. Even ground muesli + instant oats + sugar and Oreo cookies for the chocolate cheesecake I made once. I hope to make vegan cheesecake (tofu-cake doesn't sound so enticing) and use ground cashew and some other things for the base and cashew again and tofu for the cheesecake part. But that will have to wait, especially now that my kitchen adventures will be decreased since I just got a job again!

Procedure
CHEESECAKE CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Carefully cover three 14cm-diameter cake molds with aluminum foil. Set aside.
2. Crush or grind your preferred cookie base then transfer it to a bowl. Add margarine/butter/oil and mix well.
3. Divide mixture into 3 parts and put into three 14cm-diameter cake molds to make 3 cakes. Press and even up the base properly.
   
4. Bake for 12 minutes then set to cool without removing the cake molds.

CHEESECAKE

1. While the crust is baking, put cream cheese on a big bowl and mix it well, preferably with an electric mixer. ;)
2. Once the cream cheese achieves a smooth and creamy texture, put all the other ingredients except for eggs and hotcake mix. Mix well.
3. Add half the hotcake mix and mix well. Then add the other half and mix thoroughly. Make sure there are no lumps of any of the ingredients-- it should look like a velvety, homogenous mixture.
4. When you're satisfied playing with your cheesecake mixture and tasting it every 5 seconds, abandon the electric mixer and get your silicon spatula. Crack the eggs into the mixture one by one and mixing it lightly but thoroughly using the spatula.
5. Preheat the oven again to 160°C. While waiting, pour the cheesecake mixture into the cake molds with baked crust. Then tap the sides of the cake molds or drop it from 1-inch height just to make sure there are no air bubbles inside the cheesecake.
6. Bake the cheesecakes for 40 minutes.
7. After baking, set the cheesecakes to cool for about 4 hours. Don't remove them from the cake molds. I don't have a wire rack so I like cooling my cheesecakes on a bowl or glass, sometimes with ice cubes.
8. Decorate your cheesecake with cheesecake frosting or fruits and pair with a nice coffee or tea!

I'd love to try using yogurt instead of cream but I usually don't have yogurt in stock because it expires much faster compared to cream... But I'll surely try that next time. ;) 

RIGHT: The first Valentine's Day when my husband and I were together physically, I gave him homemade chocolates. Most of these were bite-sized homemade cheesecake coated with a mix of tempered chocolates.

Then, the excess ingredients, I turned into choco-cheesecake frappe. ^_~

Tips and tricks
Make sure the eggs and cream cheese are in room temperature.

Don't dare over-mixing the cheesecake mixture once the eggs are incorporated or else your cheesecake will crack when baked.

If you want to make chocolate cheesecake, be careful with the lemon! I'd suggest putting a few more drops of vanilla oil instead, and just half to a tablespoon of lemon or else you'll have no choice but to smile at a sour chocolate cheesecake... mmm...

RIGHT: blueberry cheesecakes right out of the oven. :)