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Cheesecake Toppings
Use with a 9-inch
cheesecake
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Although cheesecakes are just
as good served plain, toppings add a special touch.
They
can be placed on a cheesecake right from the
oven, or one that has cooled on a wire cake rack. Other toppings are applied
after the cheesecake has chilled, preferably overnight. |
TOPPINGS TO APPLY DURING BAKING:
Sour Cream, NY Style:
In a medium sized bowl mix 1 cup of sour cream along with 2 tablespoons of
sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
Remove cheesecake from oven and do not turn it off. Combine topping ingredients,
spread on top of cheesecake, and return to oven immediately. Bake 10-12 minutes
more and remove from oven.
Nut Topping:
 | 6 Tbsp butter, softened |
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| 1 cup brown sugar |
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| 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped |
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While pie is baking, mix the topping ingredients, first the
butter and brown sugar until crumbly, then blending in the nuts. Remove the
cheesecake from the oven when done. Do not turn off the oven. Spread the topping
over cake, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool
on a wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
TOPPINGS TO APPLY AFTER CHILLING:
Delicious Pineapple Topping
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
3 Tbs. cornstarch
4 to 5 Tbs of sugar
1/2 tsp lemon flavor or extract
2 to 3 drops yellow food color ( optional )
Place the pineapple with syrup, cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan.. Stir well
and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and glossy. Remove
from heat and stir in extract and color. Place contents in glass or pyrex bowl
and cover with plastic wrap. Culinary Tip: Cut a few slits in the plastic
with tip of a sharp knife. (This technique prevents a crust from forming on the
mixture). Cool completely and use as a topping for cheesecake or cake.
Delicious Blueberry Topping
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. butter
Combine all ingredients except butter and cook and stir until thick. Stir in
butter and remove from heat and cool. This is so much better than canned
fillings. Use over cheesecake, cake or desserts
Delicious Lemon Topping Sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine room temperature
1 tsp fresh grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a saucpean pan and cook and stir with a whisk over
medium heat until the sauce becomes thick and just starts to bubble. Remove from
heat, Cover and chill well. A nice pudding/custard type of sauce to top
cheesecake, pound cake and angelfood cake.
Easy Glazed
Berries or Fruit: Use whole berries or cut
strawberries. If the fruit is too juicy, it will make the cheesecake soggy on
top.
Sometimes I use a glaze to cover the berries that I place on top of a chilled
cheesecake. Simply heat to liquefy about 1 1/2 cups strawberry jelly ( or part
apricot preserves ) and strain and then spoon warm jelly over the berries. Chill
again until the glaze firms up and holds the fruit in position with an
attractive sheen. This kind of glaze may also be used over other tortes and
desserts. The only negative aspect of using glazes is that after a few days they
don't look so fresh and shiny
Raspberry Glaze:
| 1,14 oz. pkg. frozen red raspberries |
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| 1 cup red wine |
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| 1/3 cup sugar |
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| 1, 10 oz. jar red currant jelly |
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Combine berries, wine and sugar in saucepan over medium heat.
Crush thawed berries with back of spoon.
Strain raspberry juice through fine sieve; discard seeds.
Return juice to saucepan. Simmer over medium heat about 25 minutes until reduced
to 1/2 cup and very syrupy. Whisk in currant jelly until melted. Cool to room
temperature.
Pour about 1/4 cup cooled glaze on chilled cheesecake. Spread
lightly, leaving a 1/2" margin around edge. Randomly arrange 3 cups assorted
fresh berries on top. Serve immediately. Extra sauce is great on ice cream!
Strawberry Crumb:
Enough thinly sliced pound cake to cover top of the cheesecake
24 Strawberries; washed, hulled, cut in half
2 cups Apricot glaze (purchase in gourmet shop)
2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
Cover chilled cheesecake with a
layer of thinly sliced pound cake. Layer with strawberries, cut side down. Melt
apricot glaze over low heat and spoon over strawberries. Sprinkle graham cracker
crumbs around the outside of the cakes. Chill cake again in refrigerator before
cutting.
Easy Strawberry:
| 2 cups washed and hulled
strawberries |
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Purée 1 1/2 cups strawberries in
blender. Slice remaining strawberries.
Just before serving, slice the
cheesecake and place on individual plates. Garnish each piece with sliced
strawberries. Top with strawberry purée or, I just slice and sugar them
and spoon them over cake or cheesecake.
Cranberry or Berry:
| 3/4 cup water |
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| 1 cup sugar |
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| ground cinnamon, a dash |
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| **2 cups fresh cranberries (or any berries), washed and
picked over |
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| 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon of cold
water |
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Combine water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium, heavy saucepan
and set over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. When mixture comes to a
boil, add half of cranberries and cornstarch mixture. Cook until thickened, 2 to
3 minutes more. Remove and cool. (Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
Makes about 2 cups sauce.
To serve, remove sides from springform pan and transfer cake to a serving
platter. Use a slotted spoon to arrange cranberry topping on top of cake. Save
any extra liquid from cranberries and drizzle over slices.
**A berry topping is the perfect foil to the richness of
cheese cake. Make it from fresh berries (if you can't get raspberries,
substitute whatever you can get hold of) when they are available. Out of season
(or when time is short), you can cheat and use a good quality jam as the source
of the fruit.
Fresh Raspberry Topping:
| 2 cups raspberries |
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| 1 cup sugar |
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| 1 tablespoon cornstarch |
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Combine the berries and sugar and a little water, bring to the
boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix the corn starch out with water and add to the
berries and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes or until it has thickened.
Praline Topping:
| 1/2 cup dark brown sugar -- packed |
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| 1/4 cup heavy cream |
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| 1 teaspoon butter -- or margarine |
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| Pecan halves,
toasted
-- for garnish |
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To prepare topping, in a small saucepan, heat brown sugar,
cream, and butter over med. heat, stirring until brown sugar dissolves. Bring
mixture to a boil; cook, without stirring, until syrupy and golden brown, about
1 to 2 minutes. Remove caramel from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour
topping over completely chilled cheesecake, tilting cake to spread evenly.
Garnish, if desired, with pecan halves. Remove side of pan. Serve within 2 hrs.
of topping.
Streusel:
| 1/3 cup all purpose flour |
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| 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar |
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| 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter |
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For Topping: Preheat broiler. Combine flour and brown sugar in
medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove
cheesecake from oven and let cool. Chill, preferably overnight. Sprinkle topping
over chilled cheesecake. Broil 6 inches from heat until topping is browned and
crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill before serving. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead and
refrigerated. Bring cheesecake to room temperature before serving.)
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate
Melt chocolate with cream over lowest heat ( or a double boiler ) and stir until
smooth and thickened. This shiny chocolate glaze is then quickly poured and
spread over the chilled cheesecake. It will quickly harden and remain glossy.
Once spread on cake, leave it set and chill. Leftover ganache may be stored and
covered in the refrigerator and can be reused by gently reheating the mixture
again.
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