Ten twists on one great cheesecake

Lay the foundation: Many recipes call for a thick, pre-baked graham cracker crumb crust. But to knock out that step, simply coat the sides and bottom of a springform pan with softened butter, then coat it with crumbs (crush cookies in a processor, or put them in a zipper bag and use a rolling pin to crush them). Or, line the buttered pan with soft ladyfingers trimmed to fit.

Prep the filling: Beat room-temperature cream cheese with sugar, then add eggs one at a time, frequently scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to ensure a smooth batter. A splash of cream softens the cake, vanilla extract adds flavor, and a touch of sour cream reinforces the tanginess. If you opt for one of the fun variations on the next pages, then top with (or fold, stir or drop in) your favorite flavor.

Bake it in a bath: A water bath--or bain-marie, as the French call the technique--prevents the cheesecake from cracking or curdling. First, tear off two long strips of heavy-duty--not regular--foil (do this before you start the crust). Make sure there are no holes in the foil. Overlap foil strips in a cross pattern, and set the 9-inch springform pan in the middle. Bring the foil up the sides, crimping around the exterior top of the pan to form a tight seal. Proceed with the recipe for crust and batter. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil. Set the unbaked cheesecake in a large pan, such as a roaster, and slowly pour hot water into the roasting pan so it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Now it's ready to bake.

Go high or low: For a taller cheesecake, you can increase the ingredients by a quarter and increase the baking time to 1 hour. If cheesecake isn't your only dessert, however, it's easier to cut and serve smaller pieces from a shorter cake. Plus, there are fewer tempting leftovers after your big day of feasting.

Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake

Let the variations begin . . .

Tiramisu Cheesecake

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, brushing 1 3-ounce package (or 24 in a package) soft ladyfingers with a mixture of 6 Tbs. strong coffee and 2 Tbs. rum. Line pan sides with ladyfingers (trimmed to fit). Stir 3 Tbs. espresso powder into the batter. When ready to serve, shave a 4-ounce bar of semi- or bittersweet chocolate with a vegetable peeler onto the cheesecake.

Serves 12 per serving: 396 calories, 8g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 28g fat (17g saturated), 152mg cholesterol, 0.7g fiber, 207mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers or graham cracker crumbs for the crust and folding 9 fun-size Snickers bars, each cut into 8 pieces, into the cheesecake batter. When ready to serve, sprinkle cheesecake perimeter with 1/4 cup coarsely chopped, roasted (unsalted) peanuts.

Serves 12 per serving: 436 calories, 9g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 31g fat (17g saturated), 154mg cholesterol, 0.7g fiber, 254mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers for the crust and stirring 4 tsps. finely grated orange zest and 1/2 cup of orange marmalade into the cheesecake batter. While cheesecake is cooling on the cooling rack, slip a piece of wax paper or foil under the rack to catch drips. Microwave 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl until cream is hot enough to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Whisk to make a smooth glaze. Pour over warm cheesecake, continue to cool cake, then refrigerate as directed. 

Serves 12 per serving: 462 calories, 8g protein, 39g carbohydrates, 32g fat (19g saturated), 165mg cholesterol, 0.9g fiber, 225mg sodium.

Simmer 1 29-ounce can of 100% pure pumpkin along with 2 tsps. ground ginger, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg and allspice in a 10-inch skillet, stirring often, until the purée starts to stick to the pan's bottom, about 8 minutes. Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake using gingersnaps for the crust, dark brown sugar for granulated and adding 1 additional large egg to the batter. Gradually beat the warm pumpkin into the batter. Increase baking time 5 to 10 minutes.

Serves 12 per serving: 361 calories, 7g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 26g fat (15g saturated), 144mg cholesterol, 2.1g fiber, 378mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers for the crust and folding in 8 regular-size Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into sixths, into prepared pan of batter. When ready to serve, garnish cooled cake perimeter with 3 quartered peanut butter cups. 

Serves 12 per serving: 432 calories, 9g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 30g fat (17g saturated), 153mg cholesterol, 0.6g fiber, 264mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake using ladyfingers for the crust and stirring 4 tsps. finely grated lemon zest into the cake batter. Spread 1/2 cup of a good brand of lemon curd (sold in jars near the jams and jellies) evenly over the top of the cooked, cooled cake.

Serves 12 per serving: 379 calories, 7g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 26g fat (16g saturated), 160mg cholesterol, 0.1g fiber, 215mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers for the crust. Pour a third of the filling into the pan. Slice off 8 cookies' worth of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, then break it into smaller chunks and distribute it evenly over the batter. Top with remaining batter.

Serves 12 per serving: 441 calories, 8g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 30g fat (17g saturated), 160mg cholesterol, 0.4g fiber, 270mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, using ladyfingers or graham cracker crumbs for the crust and stirring 2 tsps. ground cinnamon into the cheesecake batter. Top cooled cheesecake with 1 20-ounce can of apple pie filling spiced with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 Tb. brown sugar. Or, look for Comstock brand apple pie filling: The apples are tender, sweet and already cinnamon-spiced, so you won't need the spice and sugar additions as suggested above.

Serves 12 per serving: 401 calories, 7g protein, 38g carbohydrates, 25g fat (15g saturated), 152mg cholesterol, 0.9g fiber, 236mg sodium.

Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers and folding 3/4 cup mini marshmallows and 1 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate into the batter. Garnish the cooled cake with 1/2 cup toasted walnuts and a 4-ounce bar of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate shaved with a vegetable peeler.

Serves 12 per serving: 509 calories, 9g protein, 41g carbohydrates, 36g fat (20g saturated), 152mg cholesterol, 2.1g fiber, 218mg sodium.

Follow recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, using ground Famous Chocolate Wafers for the crust and dropping 1/2 cup hot fudge sauce, 1/2 Tb. at a time, into prepared pan of batter. Top cooled cheesecake with 1 20-ounce can of cherry pie filling.  

Serves 12 per serving: 454 calories, 7g protein, 46g carbohydrates, 27g fat (16g saturated), 152mg cholesterol, 0.8g fiber, 259mg sodium.

Copyright 2006 Pam Anderson. Printed first in USA Weekend. All rights reserved.