Experimenting with Cheese--Neufchatel Results!

Well, I finally dipped my finger in the neufchatel today, and tasted it. Still a little sour, but not nearly so much as before I salted it. It has mellowed out over a couple of days in the fridge. I started researching cheesecake recipes looking for something really basic to showcase the cheese. I also wanted to stay away from anything with sour cream in it, since I already had a somewhat sour cheese!

I was really influenced by the Pennsylvania Dutch cheesecake recipes because they used farmer's cheese. Another thing that I pulled from the Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, was the separation of the eggs. Mixing all the ingredients with the egg yolks, and then folding in the stiffened egg whites, gave it a rich yellow color and an airier texture--almost like a souffle.

It is fitting that I should post up a cheesecake recipe today, because it is my birthday, and traditionally my mother has made me a cheesecake as a birthday cake since I was old enough to pick out what I wanted.

Mel's Basic Cheesecake

Shortbread Crust:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 TB sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling:

• 24 oz neufchatel or farmer's cheese Dr. Fankhauser‘s Neufchatel
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs, separated

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Beat together the ingredients for the crust--it should be crumbly like a graham cracker crust.
• Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then cool.
• Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile beat together the cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolks.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
• When the crust has cooled, pour the filling into the pan.
• Bake the cheesecake for an hour.
• Let cool on the counter and then put in the fridge overnight.