As soon as I finished my last article about Al Copeland, I started thinking about one of his restaurant concepts, Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro. That was his take on a cheesecake bistro. Currently, he only has one store in Baton Rouge. Cheesecake lives on at Copeland’s chain in New Orleans.
This week I’d like to share some traditional cheesecake recipes with you. First up is “White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce.” The second one is key lime cheesecake. Both are perfect desserts for any occasion. Grab your cream cheese and head to the kitchen!
White chocolate cheesecake with strawberry sauce
Here are my wife’s dessert twists that she always chooses when we dine at Copeland’s. As you know, I love baking with white chocolate. It also goes great with the strawberry topping.
7 whole cinnamon graham crackers (crushed)
4 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
8 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1-1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
red food coloring, optional
Directions: Combine cracker flour and sugar in a small bowl. Mix in the butter. He presses 1 inch up the bottom and sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla until well combined. Add eggs and yolks. Beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the white chocolate. Pour over the dough. Place the bread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it. It stays cool for an hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
For the sauce, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a large saucepan until smooth. Add strawberries. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix. nice. Spread strawberry sauce on top of the cheesecake. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Freeze leftovers.
key lime cheesecake
Key lime pie is the official food product of the state of Florida. The sourness of the fruit juice goes well with the cream cheese. Key lime juice is readily available at most grocery stores.
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups sugar (divided)
24 ounces cream cheese (softened)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter. Mix well. Press mixture 1 inch up the bottom and sides of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool in the pan.
Mix cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir into cream cheese mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven. Partially open the oven door. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife along the edges of the bread to release the sides. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Cover and chill for 8 hours before serving.
My favorite cheesecake is always my mom’s. I have shared my mother’s recipe before. These cheesecakes are a great way to end your meal, but we also have cheesecakes that are perfect as an appetizer or main dish. I would like to share some of them next time.
Creole-Cajun chef Tommy Centra is a New Orleans native who moved to Searcy after Hurricane Katrina and published his second cookbook, Creole & Cajun Comfort Food. For more information, visit his website www.creolecajunchef.com and Facebook @creolecajunchef.
