Cheesecake is a forgiving food. I was making a super easy cheesecake that doesn't require a springform pan - easy easy easy. I was doing something else at the same time (that's how easy it is) and I didn't realize I hadn't added the sour cream until after it was more than halfway cooked. AAARRRGGGHHH. There was no trying to "fix it" at this point so I kept it in for the full cooking time just to see what would happen - and what happened was magic. It poofed up HIGH toward the end of cooking. When I pulled it out and put it on a rack to cool it deflated and fell. Assessing the damage a light went off in my head. It had made a nice well to use that sour cream as a layer or filling. So I whipped up the sour cream with some sugar and vanilla and then poured it on. Put it in the oven to cook the "filling" and wow - it looked like a regular pie with piecrust! And it is delicious...dense cheesecake with a light sour cream layer on top.
Fast forward a couple of years and here I am making my wondrous cheesecake pie and what did I do? I was busy yakking and watching tv while making it and...I added in the sour cream to the cheesecake base batter. Back to the original (I had only adjusted it slightly for sweetness and flavoring) and still good! So this recipe is an easy 2fer, Cheesecake Pie or Easy Easy Cheesecake.
Cheesecake Pie (Level 1)
2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese
4 eggs
1 cup sugar substitute (I use Whey Low)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz sour cream (I use 2 8 oz containers and just take 1/2 cup out of one of them)
1/4 cup sugar substitute (I use Whey Low)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325
Spray 9 - 10" pie plate with pam
Take the cream cheese and eggs out of the fridge. Let them sit out for at least half an hour until the cream cheese is softened.
Put the cream cheese into the bowl of your mixer. Beat until smooth, then add the eggs 1 at a time, beating each egg into the mixture and then scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Then add in the sugar substitute a little bit at a time, beating to mix the sugar in. Once you've fully incorporated the sugar add in the vanilla and mix in.
Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate and put in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You'll see the magic happen as it starts to poof during the last 1/3 of baking. Once it looks firm pull it out of the oven and put it on a rack to cool. (It will deflate and you may have a crack down the middle.) It sinks down and you'll end with a deflated cake with a well in the middle.
When you pull the cheesecake out of the oven take the sour cream out of the fridge and put it on the counter so it can come to room temperature while the pie cools. After about 30 minutes prepare the sour cream layer.
Put the sour cream into the bowl of your mixer. Beat in the sugar, a little at a time, then add the vanilla and mix in. Pour it into the well in the cheesecake and evenly spread over the top. Pop it back into the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove and put back onto the wire rack to cool. Once it's cooled put in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Foxye
Jupiter Florida USA
Somersizing since 01/03
Visit my Somersized blog at www.wiredfoxterror.blogspot.com
