Cheesecake

This is a generic, simple, and truly delicious cheesecake. Make sure all of your ingredients are at a warm room temperature before starting to ensure a silky smooth texture. Also, be warned - with all the cooling steps, this recipe can take a while. If you're serious about how it looks and allow the cake to cool as slowly as possible, it can easily take 4-5 hours. But the finished product will be so beautiful, the dishes will be done, and you'll have read a few more chapters in your current book, so it'll all be worth it.

Montana Mom’s Dynamite Cheesecake
from Molly Katzen's The Moosewood Cookbook

Crust
16 graham crackers; crushed
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon flour

Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large lemon, juice and grated rind; yellow part only

Topping
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust: Mush up with fingers and press firmly into bottom of 9” springform pan.

Filling: Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour on top of crust and bake for 25 minutes (or until set) at 375 degrees. Cool slowly and completely. **I like to leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the heat off and the door open so it cools slowly. This will help prevent the top from cracking.

Topping: Blend. Pour on top of cooled filling and bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. **I also do this cooling step with the door of the oven open and the heat off for the same reason. When cool, I press plastic wrap evenly across the surface of the cake to prevent condensation in the fridge from damaging the topping.

A MUST: Cheesecake must set in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before it will be firm enough to slice well. If you get impatient and cut it before it's completely set, the top will be runny.

For Bailey’s version: substitute lemon juice and rind in filling with 1/4-1/3 cup Bailey’s, and add 1-2 Tbs. to the topping.

Cardamom Bread

To go with the picture...

Cardamom Bread
modified from the Razor Family Farms recipe

4 cups flour
3 tsp ground cardamom
1 ¼ cups water or milk, 115-120 degrees F
¾ cup sugar
1½ Tbs dry-active yeast
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sugar, for sprinkling

1. Mix flour and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat milk and stir in sugar until dissolved. When milk-sugar mixture reaches 110 F, sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the mixture, and gently stir to incorporate. Stand back and watch the magic happen.

3. After 10 minutes or so, when the yeast are bubbly and fragrant, add the milk-sugar-yeast to the flour mixture. Add melted butter or oil, too. Mix with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.

4. Knead in the bowl, or just with your hands, for a minute or two. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes with a light cover over it, like a clean kitchen towel. This is nap time for the dough during which the gluten relaxes and absorbs moisture.

5. When the 20 minutes is up, begin kneading again and work in the salt. Make sure the salt is fully incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a good 4-5 minutes, giving it a good working over. The dough should be slightly less sticky, and spring back when pressed. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to rise 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. The time this takes will depend on how warm your kitchen is.

6. Punch the dough down, and knead a few times. Split the dough into three evenly sized sections, and roll into ropes. Braid them together on a greased baking sheet, and tuck the ends of the braid under. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise until just under doubled, 30-45 minutes. **I like to start from the center and braid down one side, turn the pan around, and then braid down the other side. This helps my braid look more even, and it’s easier. You can also do 4- or 6-stranded braids if you’re feeling fancy.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the braided loaf with egg and sprinkle it with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped firmly.

This bread is especially delicious when still warm from the oven, with a hot cup of tea.

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The plan is to use this as an archive for recipes and projects that can be easily accessed by myself and others. Without further ado...