Basic Cheesecake Filling

1 lb To 2 lb cream cheese

1/2 c Powdered sugar

2 To 3 eggs

1/2 c Yogurt or sour cream

3/4 c Liqueur or fruit/vegetable

-puree 1 tb Vanilla

1 t Or more other flavored

-extracts, -if desired

Here`s where it gets fun. The more cream cheese you use, the denser the cheesecake will be (but not dry!) The more eggs you use, the fluffier it will be. There`s a delicate balance here - 1 lb cheese and 3 eggs will give you a fluffy cheesecake, but if you use 2 lbs cheese, 3 eggs is an absolute must if you don`t

want it to be flat. More eggs than 3, and you`ll taste the eggs. 1 lb cheese and 2 eggs is a nice balance, too, but going any lower than that you`ll just end up with something flat. The powdered sugar works best for two reasons - number one, powdered sugar contains corn starch, which acts as a thickener, and number two, you don`t have to worry about the grittiness of undissolved sugar in your cake. The yogurt or sour cream adds moistness and a little bit of tang to the cake. It`s not necessary, but it adds oomph to either a bland cake or a citrus-flavored cake. For liqueur, add no more than 1/2 cup if you`re using the yogurt or sour cream, and

make sure you`re using the three eggs. If you eliminate the yogurt/sour cream, you can increase the liqueur to 3/4 cup, and 2 eggs will work (but three is still better - two works best only if you`re not using the yogurt/sour cream >and< your liqueur is only 1/2 cup.) A fruit or vegetable puree should be relatively dry - drain off the liquid in a sieve, or put it in a saucepan, mix in some cornstarch, and heat it until it`s thick. You can use an entire cup of puree if you eliminate the yogurt/sour cream. Either mix in the puree with the batter, or reserve a cup or so of batter, mix it with the puree, then swirl it into the cheesecake. The vanilla is a must, in my opinion. Lots of times, I`ll throw in an extra teaspoon for good measure. Other extracts can enhance the flavor - banana extract in a strawberry cheesecake, coconut extract or almond extract in an Amaretto cheesecake, etc. Another addition would be cocoa or chocolate. Cocoa mixes in nicely without making the cheesecake gooey - 4-6 Tbsp will do it. Melted chocolate or white

chocolate chips shouldn`t really exceed 6 oz, even 4 oz will usually do enough for the flavor. If you`re doing the swirl thing, use only 2-3 oz melted chocolate for the batter that`s being swirled in. Make sure the melted stuff is cooled before you mix it in. (see also Basic Cheesecake Crust and Basic Cheesecake Method & Toppings) * The Polka Dot Palace BBS 1-201-822-3627. Posted by FAYLEN