Cheesecake Time!

It's raining today, something that is really rare for this part of California. While the rest of the state is in a drought, this part never registers as having a shortage of rain, maybe because we never get much rain to register. While that is a problem, since our water is being pumped both north and south, and growth is gaining on us, we will be hurting for water, soon. In the mean time, I'm stuck in the house with little to do but pray for a job for my husband. I really need a cheesecake to cry over. While I'm wishing for ingredients, you can all go and buy some for the holidays.

The holidays always bring on a hankering for cheesecakes, so I'm doubly craving cheesecake. Well, why not? When is it not a good time for cheesecake? Cheesecake is to me like chocolate or ice cream is to others, it is the ultimate comfort food. Many a tear has been shed over a nice fat slice of cheesecake.

My favorite recipe is one I got from a Christmas cookbook many years ago, while still in high school. I still have the ratty tore up book just for this one recipe. It has a hint of lemon and a yogurt topping, it is about the best cheesecake, and it looks elegant even if the top cracks because of the yogurt on top covers and fills them. It is well worth the trip to the grocer for the ingredients. Another good thing is it can be mixed in the blender. You can also double the recipe and it will fill three premade graham cracker crusts.

Creamy Citrus Cheesecake
makes 8 servings

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
2 T margarine, melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
3 teaspoon vanilla, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened
1 cup plain, lemon, or vanilla yogurt, divided (I use 2 cups of lemon)
2 T powdered sugar (I use 4)

1. Preheat oven to 325* F.
2. In a bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and margarine, press into bottom of 7 in springform pan, bake 6 minutes, chill.
3. In food processor or blender, combine eggs, granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, peel, and juice, cut cream cheese into chunks, add to mixture and process until smooth, stir in 1/2 cup yogurt. Pour into crust.
4. Bake at 325* for 50-60 minutes or until nearly set.
5. Combine remaining yogurt, vanilla, and powdered sugar, spread over hot cheesecake,
6. Loosen side of pan, cool on wire rack, chill before serving.

* note: I use more yogurt and powdered sugar to make more topping. this helps fill in any cracks without making them noticeable*

**Try peach flavored yogurt, I have used berry, but the flavor was off, not as smooth as the lemon.*

This one really looks good, I'll have to remember to try it.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 envelopes gelatin
2 cups water
2 pounds cream cheese
5 eggs -- separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange peel
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups cranberries

1. Pat crumbs and butter into 10" springform.
2. Soften gelatin in water, set aside.
3. Blend cream cheese, egg yolks, vanilla, juice, peel and sugar.
4. Gradually add 1 3/4 cup of the gelatin.
5. Beat egg whites (reserve 1 T for garnish) stiff and fold into cheese mixture.
6. Refrigerate 30 - 45 minutes.
7. Cook sugar, water and cranberries until skins pop (5 minutes).
8. Add remaining gelatin, puree and refrigerate until mixture mounds.
9. Marble cream cheese and cranberry mixture in crust, refrigerate overnight.
10. GARNISH: Dip 6 whole cranberries in reserved egg white, roll in sugar and set for 1 hour.

For more than 130 cheesecake recipes and other ones as well, you can visit my newly opened forum The Grafted In Cookbook, come and share your recipes, critique others, or just come in for a cuppa.