REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY – The Cheesecake Bible – With Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe

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The Cheesecake Bible: Includes 200 Recipes

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Robert Rose; Original edition (October 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778801926
• ISBN-13: 978-0778801924
• Cover price $24.95

Isn’t a really good cheesecake available only in a bakery or restaurant? George dispels that common belief with 200 delectable cheesecakes that can be made easily in your kitchen.

This decadent and delicious collection of cheesecake recipes, written by baker extraordinaire George Geary, provides a wide range of baking inspiration, from plain to intensely rich.

Believe it or not, this delightfully creamy dessert is actually easier to make than other traditional cakes, yet it is incredibly impressive. These recipes provide everything you need ti bake the perfect cheesecake every time! And there’s a wonderful array of flavors – from classic vanilla and chocolate to citrus and nutty delights.

George Geary teaches baking and cooking techniques at more than 100 cooking schools across North America every year. He is a food journalist and the author of five cookbooks. George resides in California.

I have always loved cheesecake. In my younger days I was known to fib, ok outright lie, just to get away with eating cheesecake that my Mom was saving for special occasions. I know, that wasn’t the right thing to do but come on, it’s cheesecake we’re talking about! After I married and was on my own I contemplated making my own cheesecake. A woman that I knew assured me that making a good cheesecake was extremely difficult and very time consuming. A few years back I tired of buying them at the store and decided to try my hand at making my own. I have never looked back. Contrary to what I’d been told, cheesecakes are not extremely difficult to make and they really aren’t any more time consuming then some other desserts. I only make them from scratch now. Trust me, once you’ve made your own cheesecake you won’t buy another one from the freezer section of the grocery store again. When I received a copy of The Cheesecake Bible I was very excited.

Chapters in this cookbook include:

• Introduction
• A World of Cheesecakes
• Chocolate Cheesecakes
• Fresh Fruit Cheesecakes
• Citrus Cheesecakes
• Nut Cheesecakes
• No-Bake Cheesecakes
• Small Cheesecakes and Bars
• Cheese Pies
• Savory Cheesecakes
• Holiday and Celebration Cheesecakes
• Toppings and Sauces

The beginning of the book, The Introduction, contains a lot of helpful information on the actual baking of a cheesecake. It helps explain types of pans, decorating tools, and commonly used equipment. It also goes into commonly used ingredients. After that basic techniques are explained, and some commonly asked questions are answered. then come the recipes.

Recipes in The Cheesecake Bible are all easy to understand. Ingredients for crust, filling, and decoration are all items you have or can get from a local grocery store. The recipes breaks down the cheesecakes into steps, starting with crust, then going on to filling and then finally decoration. It is in those steps that your total prep and cooking time is hidden. I admit, I always prefer these two things to be listed outside of the recipe, so you don’t have to read all the way through to see if you have enough time to try making something. But in all honesty, if you are making a cheesecake you need to allot yourself a minimum of an hour in the kitchen. Cheesecakes are different then many other foods because they can also require significant cooling time and then additional time in the refrigerator. I don’t count those in my time factor, because I can run errands and do other things while those things take place. The point is if you read a cheesecake recipe and it seems to say you will be taking 8 hours to make it, don’t panic, because you won’t. Many of the recipes also include cooking, serving and prep tips, as well as variations.

The Cheesecake Bible would be perfect for anyone that enjoys cheesecake, baking and entertaining. There are a number of recipes in the cookbook that I am looking forward to trying including Neopolitan Cheesecake, Butterscotch Peach Cheesecake, Lemon Souffle Cheesecake, and Cranberry Orange Cheesecake.

Here is a recipe from page 54 of The Cheesecake Bible.

Courtesy of The Cheesecake Bible by George Geary 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Your guests will ask if it’s a cheesecake or a carrot cake. It’s the best of both worlds.

This recipe calls for use of a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, sprayed with nonstick spray, outside of pan wrapped with foil

Ingredients

Cheesecake Batter

• 2 packages (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
• 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 175 mL
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 15 mL
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 5 mL

Carrot Cake Batter

• 11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 300 mL
• 11⁄4 tsp baking soda 6 mL
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 mL
• 1⁄4 tsp salt 1 mL
• 1⁄8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 0.5 mL
• 11⁄4 cups granulated sugar 300 mL
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 75 mL
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
• 1⁄2 cup well-drained crushed pineapple 125 mL (about one 8-oz/227 mL can)
• 1⁄2 cup flaked sweetened coconut 125 mL
• 1⁄2 cup pecans, toasted (see tip, at left) 125 mL and chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots 250 mL

Icing

• 2 oz cream cheese, softened 60 g
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 15 mL
• 13⁄4 cups confectioner’s (icing) sugar 425 mL
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract 2 mL

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

1. Cheesecake batter: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Carrot cake batter: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended, for 2 minutes. Add pineapple, coconut and pecans; mix for 1 minute. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in carrots.

3. Divide carrot cake batter in half and smooth half the batter over bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven just until cake is light brown and just set, 18 to 22 minutes (it will not be fully cooked).

4. Gently drop cheesecake batter by large spoonfuls over carrot cake. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter, allowing some of the cheesecake batter to show through. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the top layer of carrot cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before icing or serving.

5. Icing: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Pipe large rosettes around top of cake.

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What’s your favorite type of cheesecake?