Tuesdays with Dorie: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake
December 30, 2008 at 1:52 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, cheesecakes, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 45 Comments
When I saw that Anne of AnneStrawberry had chosen Dorie’s Tall and Creamy Cheesecake for TWD, my first reaction was something like “errrgh.” Now, I love me some cheesecake (one of my favorites can be seen here), but I didn’t know how I’d make it fit into my holiday eating plans. Then I realized that my holiday eating plans basically boiled down to eating as much as possible, so cheesecake would actually fit in quite nicely.
I did jazz up the basic recipe to make it a bit more festive. Rather than a graham cracker crust, I made a gingersnap one. Then, I topped each piece with homemade cranberry sauce (because I love it, and must have it more often than just at Thanksgiving).
This cheesecake is fantastically good! Thanks, Anne and, it probably goes without saying, Dorie! I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese (you know, that “Neufchâtel” stuff) to make mine. Combined with full fat sour cream, it was just perfect. One more note: I like to use the food processor, rather than a mixer, to make cheesecake batter. It still requires a scrape or two, but as long as your cream cheese and eggs are room temperature, you will never get a lump. Oh, yeah, I also wanted to say that a half recipe works nicely in a high-sided six-inch springform.
Did anyone find the instruction to let the cheesecake “luxuriate in its water bath” amusing? I was jealous– I would like to luxuriate in a water bath!
For the recipe, look in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (she also has it here on Serious Eats). You can find it on AnneStrawberry, too. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll.
Happy New Year!!
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a whisk and a spoon 
this looks delicious! this fits in my current diet too as I m eating so much food. I ll have to eat nothing to compensate. 🙂
Comment by snooky doodle— December 30, 2008 #
tous les gâteaux au fromage que j’ai vus depuis ce matin sont tous plus beaux les uns que les autres ! et le tien ne fait pas exception 🙂
c’est super appétissant, surtout que …j’adore les canneberges 🙂
Comment by isabelle— December 30, 2008 #
Your cheesecake looks perfect! Great idea to combine gingersnaps and cranberries. YUM!
Comment by Kimberly— December 30, 2008 #
Happy New Year! Your cheesecake came out tall and creamy! I halved the recipe but mine doesn’t look anything like yours!
Comment by Christine— December 30, 2008 #
DIVINE!!
Comment by VeggieGirl— December 30, 2008 #
How wonderful.
It looks great.
Comment by chocolatechic— December 30, 2008 #
Beautiful! Gingersnap and Cranberry must have been divine- I can almost taste it. I love your comment about wanting to luxuriate in a water bath- ha!
Comment by Mary Ann— December 30, 2008 #
Yours looks great!!
Comment by Maci— December 30, 2008 #
Gorgeous!
Comment by Jodie— December 30, 2008 #
I love your cranberry topping! Brilliant! I’m glad to hear the 1/2 recipe works in a 6″ pan. Maybe I’ll split mine in half next time and make two flavors…
Comment by Leslie— December 30, 2008 #
A gingerbread crust sounds really good with this cheesecake. And it totally fits in to the holiday menu, when anything and everything is devoured 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful NYE in NYC…
Comment by Amanda— December 30, 2008 #
When I read the last sentence of your first paragraph, I almost spit out my coffee laughing.
Gingersnap and cranberry sounds really great – and yeah, who has time to luxuriate in a water bath?!
Happy New Year!
Comment by Megan— December 30, 2008 #
This looks fabulous! The gingersnap crust and cranberry sauce sound delicious.
Comment by Erin— December 30, 2008 #
That’s one gorgeous cheesecake! Glad you enjoyed it!
Comment by Tracey— December 30, 2008 #
I got a great giggle out of the water bath instruction too. It just made me love the recipe even more! Your cheesecake looks and sounds great!!
Comment by Holly— December 30, 2008 #
Sigh… and to think that after all this flattery I’ve been pulling on you, I was hopping to get an invitation for dessert sometimes! LOL …kidding, of course! But not to say I wouldn’t jump on the occasion… wow, especially for that amazingly beautiful cheesecake!
Comment by Vibi— December 30, 2008 #
“Eating as much as possible” was your plan, too?
This looks fantastic. The gingersnap crust and the cranberry sauce? Inspired.
Comment by Rebecca— December 30, 2008 #
Oh my. That slice is most enticing.
Comment by rainbowbrown— December 30, 2008 #
Lovely! I love the big slice photo! I wish I could have it!
Comment by Maria— December 30, 2008 #
Beautiful! I should have thought of the cranberry….darn!
Comment by Lindsay— December 30, 2008 #
Totally – I watched mine “luxuriate” and had to suppress feelings of jealousy 🙂 And I’m a fan of your holiday eating plan, it sounds quite a bit like mine. Beautiful cheesecake!
Comment by Caitlin— December 30, 2008 #
What a perfect holiday cheesecake. You are right cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving!
Comment by Carol Peterman— December 30, 2008 #
Beautiful. Love the cranberries idea. Happy New Year!
Comment by Peggy— December 30, 2008 #
Ooh, yum! I would never have thought to top it with cranberry sauce. What a great idea!
Comment by Di— December 30, 2008 #
Your choice of cranberry topping and gingersnap crust certainly fits the season. Great work!
Comment by Rhiani— December 30, 2008 #
Gingersnap crust sounds divine great idea I am writing that down… Your cake looks great good job!
Comment by danielle— December 31, 2008 #
That looks sooooo divine. Im hungry now.
Comment by Landa— December 31, 2008 #
Mouth watering. Happy New Year, and all the best.
L
Comment by Lauren— December 31, 2008 #
Gorgeous as always. Cranberry sauce sounds perfect with this!!
Comment by Gretchen Noelle— December 31, 2008 #
I love the homemade cranberry sauce. YUM!
Happy New Year!
Comment by pinkstripes— December 31, 2008 #
And a beautiful cheesecake too! I think the cranberries must give the cake a perfect balance of sweet/creamy and sweet/tangy.
Comment by Heather Peskin— December 31, 2008 #
I want a slice!!! Please!!! Happy New Year! I look forward to reading more of your cooking adventures in the new year!!
Comment by foodlibrarian— December 31, 2008 #
Bathing cheesecakes are quite humorous….never heard it put that way either. he he
I love your flavor combo and and and your looks very tasty. Beautiful photo. Glad you liked it too.
happy New Year
AmyRuth
Going to look at your DB challenge next
Comment by Amy Ruth— January 1, 2009 #
Oh, that is looking pretty fabulous! My photos just stunk on this one, but yours looks as good as it seems to have tasted.
Comment by Madam Chow— January 1, 2009 #
Yum – that cheesecake looks absolutely delicious! Did you just reduce cranberries in syrup to make the sauce? It looks really gorgeous and I’d love to make it sometime. 🙂
Comment by Katie— January 2, 2009 #
That looks fabulous and I love the flavors you used! I had a good laugh about the water bath too. Dorie’s too funny sometimes. Happy new year! 🙂
Comment by Anne— January 2, 2009 #
Your cherry topped cheesecake looks great! I loved Dorie’s luxuriate instruction.
Comment by mangomissives— January 2, 2009 #
Katie– To make the cranberry sauce, I just used the recipe off the bag of Ocean Spray cranberries…same thing I use for Thanksgiving dinner!
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— January 2, 2009 #
I resolve not to visit this blog often because of fear of putting on more weight! OMG! Look at that cheesecake!
Happy New Year!
Comment by Cynthia— January 2, 2009 #
Looks wonderful. You can’t beat cheesecake for dessert in my opinion.
Comment by SharonaMay— January 3, 2009 #
Hi Steph! I love me some cheesecake too! We made one for Thanksgiving and subbed a gingersnap crust–so tasty. I don’t know how the holidays flew by, but I’m sad (and relieved, let’s be honest) that they are over. (now I have to get back to work on all my projects!)
I hope all is going well for you.
Happy New Year!
Min
Comment by Min— January 4, 2009 #
Yum! What a dreamy looking cheesecake! Happy New Year! 🙂
Comment by Gigi— January 4, 2009 #
I’ve become a cheesecake lover. This one looks great. Luxuriating in the water bath, I agree with you, I’d love to do that!
Comment by stacielk— January 5, 2009 #
Just catching up a bit…your cheesecake is absolutely stunning and gorgeous! Wow.
Comment by Kayte— January 6, 2009 #
YUM! I am catching up on blog posts and this looks incredible, but I am not surprised. Everything you blog about looks incredible. Happy 2009!
Comment by Janna from Honeyed Hashette— January 13, 2009 #