Comments on: chocolate caramel cheesecake http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:36:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Pam http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-317342 Pam Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:27:34 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-317342 I made this for a party last night everyone loved it. My only issue was you cant really taste the caramel. Anyone else have the same experience? Maybe you are not supposed to taste it? I made this for a party last night everyone loved it. My only issue was you cant really taste the caramel. Anyone else have the same experience? Maybe you are not supposed to taste it?

]]> By: Zeke http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-317196 Zeke Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:25:42 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-317196 Careful... this recipe may induce labor! Well, I'm only kidding, but I made this last night and it turned out great! I added 4 Tbsp of Flour when I mixed in the Chocolate sauce. I also used 2 Tbsp of water and some drops of lemon juice in the sugar before caramelizing it. It was perfect after the main cooking cycle, just about 190 degrees and just a bit wobbly in the center. I cooled with the oven cracked and cooled further on the counter. The only strange thing was that the grease (Crisco) I used to line the springform pan (9") leaked from the pan when I pulled it from the oven. The baking sheet below was a very good idea! After I finished it last night (later than I expected because my sugar would not caramelize without water) my wife started having contractions. (It's not time to go in to the hospital yet...). The cake looks great wrapped in the fridge now and will be served to the guests coming to watch my son. (I was PLANNING on freezing it until it was time). Careful… this recipe may induce labor!

Well, I’m only kidding, but I made this last night and it turned out great! I added 4 Tbsp of Flour when I mixed in the Chocolate sauce. I also used 2 Tbsp of water and some drops of lemon juice in the sugar before caramelizing it.

It was perfect after the main cooking cycle, just about 190 degrees and just a bit wobbly in the center. I cooled with the oven cracked and cooled further on the counter. The only strange thing was that the grease (Crisco) I used to line the springform pan (9″) leaked from the pan when I pulled it from the oven. The baking sheet below was a very good idea!

After I finished it last night (later than I expected because my sugar would not caramelize without water) my wife started having contractions. (It’s not time to go in to the hospital yet…). The cake looks great wrapped in the fridge now and will be served to the guests coming to watch my son. (I was PLANNING on freezing it until it was time).

]]> By: F http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-315173 F Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:26:28 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-315173 I've never made caramel before and didn't know the sugar would take SO long to caramelize. And when it did caramelize I had little lumps in it as well. I mixed this up in a food processor and I could hear the blades grinding down hard lumps of caramel as it mixed! The cake came out perfectly smooth though and was extremely tasty, if a bit rich. The 12 of us who ate it could only manage to finish about half of it! I’ve never made caramel before and didn’t know the sugar would take SO long to caramelize. And when it did caramelize I had little lumps in it as well. I mixed this up in a food processor and I could hear the blades grinding down hard lumps of caramel as it mixed! The cake came out perfectly smooth though and was extremely tasty, if a bit rich. The 12 of us who ate it could only manage to finish about half of it!

]]> By: bebe http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-313981 bebe Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:06:51 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-313981 I have also had many successes with a hot water bath to prevent cracking. I have also had many successes with a hot water bath to prevent cracking.

]]> By: Cheryl http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-313423 Cheryl Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:29:57 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-313423 Hi, Abby #1 & Deb! This may have already been answered further in the comments but just want to share that Cooks Illustrated has a very informative tip/article on preventing cracked cheesecakes. Their contention is that it means the cake has been overbaked; that anytime temp goes over 160 degrees, it's going to crack. They recommend an instant read thermometer for testing doneness of cake--take out of oven when center reaches 150 degrees--and cooking in a water bath to prevent overheating. I'd send you a link to the info but don't know how. Sorry. Hope that helps someone. Love your site, Deb! Thanks again! :-) Hi, Abby #1 & Deb! This may have already been answered further in the comments but just want to share that Cooks Illustrated has a very informative tip/article on preventing cracked cheesecakes. Their contention is that it means the cake has been overbaked; that anytime temp goes over 160 degrees, it’s going to crack. They recommend an instant read thermometer for testing doneness of cake–take out of oven when center reaches 150 degrees–and cooking in a water bath to prevent overheating. I’d send you a link to the info but don’t know how. Sorry. Hope that helps someone. Love your site, Deb! Thanks again! :-)

]]> By: Kayvie http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-311679 Kayvie Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:12:37 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-311679 I made this for my boyfriend's birthday. I live in England an can't get a hold of these teddy crackers (nor graham crackers - tear!), so I used digestives with cocoa powder instead - a recipe by Nigella Lawson. I doubled the base recipe and filled the tin super high with crust - it looked brilliant! Difficult to cut without breaking, but it was so tasty that no one cared. Awesome awesome cheesecake! Making caramel for the first time was petrifying (no sense of perspective, here), but it worked and tasted wonderful. Thank you so much! I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday. I live in England an can’t get a hold of these teddy crackers (nor graham crackers – tear!), so I used digestives with cocoa powder instead – a recipe by Nigella Lawson. I doubled the base recipe and filled the tin super high with crust – it looked brilliant! Difficult to cut without breaking, but it was so tasty that no one cared. Awesome awesome cheesecake! Making caramel for the first time was petrifying (no sense of perspective, here), but it worked and tasted wonderful. Thank you so much!

]]> By: Yael http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-300129 Yael Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:43:44 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-300129 I uploaded some food pictures to Fotki, and this cake is on there, so figured I'd share: http://public.fotki.com/LadyPennywhistle/food/chocolatecaramelche-2.html I uploaded some food pictures to Fotki, and this cake is on there, so figured I’d share: http://public.fotki.com/LadyPennywhistle/food/chocolatecaramelche-2.html

]]> By: Nadia http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-291905 Nadia Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:28:17 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-291905 Normally I'm a firm cheesecake snob, but cakes like this make turn me into the world's biggest liar. Looks just incredible. Also please SK if you get the time and wherewithal please try out the Heath Bar Almond Crunch Cheesecake courtesy of the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. I haven't tried this recipe myself but I love Heath Bars and absent of a "Suggestions Box" on this site, I thought I'd recommend. Normally I’m a firm cheesecake snob, but cakes like this make turn me into the world’s biggest liar. Looks just incredible. Also please SK if you get the time and wherewithal please try out the Heath Bar Almond Crunch Cheesecake courtesy of the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. I haven’t tried this recipe myself but I love Heath Bars and absent of a “Suggestions Box” on this site, I thought I’d recommend.

]]> By: LGrant http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-290975 LGrant Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:24:07 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-290975 I didn't read all the comments but I'll let you know the secret of no cracks. Low and slow baking works great. Better than a water bath in my opinion. Water baths are messy and hard to deal with. Instead I lower the heat in the oven and bake it longer. You get a more creamy cheesecake and the lower temperature and longer baking time sets it more gently so it tends to crack less. Another trick is stopping the baking while there is still a little jiggle in the center, turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake in it as it cools. It allows the cheesecake to finish baking but gently and cool slower to avoid cracks. My last trick is using a food processor instead of a mixer to mix the batter. The cream cheese doesn't have to be as warm and soft and you don't get those tiny little beads of cream cheese that stubbornly want to stay in there. You also don't incorporate as much air so you avoid some of the problems with cracks and density because the batter isn't whipped so much as cut together smoothly. Just some ideas for fellow-cheesecake lovers. I can't wait to try this one! I didn’t read all the comments but I’ll let you know the secret of no cracks. Low and slow baking works great. Better than a water bath in my opinion. Water baths are messy and hard to deal with. Instead I lower the heat in the oven and bake it longer. You get a more creamy cheesecake and the lower temperature and longer baking time sets it more gently so it tends to crack less. Another trick is stopping the baking while there is still a little jiggle in the center, turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake in it as it cools. It allows the cheesecake to finish baking but gently and cool slower to avoid cracks. My last trick is using a food processor instead of a mixer to mix the batter. The cream cheese doesn’t have to be as warm and soft and you don’t get those tiny little beads of cream cheese that stubbornly want to stay in there. You also don’t incorporate as much air so you avoid some of the problems with cracks and density because the batter isn’t whipped so much as cut together smoothly. Just some ideas for fellow-cheesecake lovers. I can’t wait to try this one!

]]> By: Goni http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory/#comment-289636 Goni Sat, 30 May 2009 16:17:26 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/no-teddy-bear-guts-no-glory#comment-289636 Thanks for the update! I didn't bake the cake in the end (was asked to cook something else for shavuot dinner) and really glad to hear that the lotus biscuits worked, will try when i finally get to bake the cake... (and I didn't find any other alternatives for the crust in the shops). Was good to swap notes with a fellow Israeli :) Thanks for the update!
I didn’t bake the cake in the end (was asked to cook something else for shavuot dinner) and really glad to hear that the lotus biscuits worked, will try when i finally get to bake the cake… (and I didn’t find any other alternatives for the crust in the shops). Was good to swap notes with a fellow Israeli :)

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