Hey there guys! Sorry but this is not a chapter. I'm almost done, just 3 more pages. I'm super sorry and please don't get mad at me, things in school have been SUPER hectic. I'll try to do better, promise. Anyhoo, this is to commemorate International Cheesecake day, which was celebrated yesterday, August 7, 2007. As I promised, here's the Margarita Cheesecake Recipe form Chapter 3...or was that chapter 4? I forgot... Anyway, guys, please enjoy these recipes(to commemorate ICD, I put a few other cheesecake recipes!) Happy Baking!

One Last Thing: PLEASE CHECK OUT: Tsugi Tsugi To By BlackMailer (those who enjoy a great story and who like detective conan/case closed) Thanks!

Margarita Cheesecake

Ingredients

Serving: Serves 10

4 Ounces salted pretzels

3/4 Cup sugar

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for baking pan

3 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese

1 Cup sour cream

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec

1 Tablespoon tequila

1 Tablespoon grated lime zest

4 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. Make the crust: Butter a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan: set aside. In a food processor, pulse pretzels to fine crumbs. Add sugar and butter; process until combined.

Press evenly into bottom and slightly up sides (about 1 inch) of the spring form pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Prepare filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl to eliminate any lumps, about 1 minute. Add sour cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, and lime zest; beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.

Pour into cooled crust (filling will come up higher than crust). Line outside of pan with aluminum foil (to prevent water from seeping in). Place in a roasting pan. Pour hot water to come halfway up sides of spring form pan. Bake until set and slightly firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove from water bath, and let cool on a wire rack; refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. Run a hot knife around edge of pan to release.

Fat free cheesecake

Crust:
Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups fat-free vanilla wafer cookie crumbs, or any fat-free cookie crumbs of your choice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages fat-free cream cheese
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 cups sugar or sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
3 large eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon Curd:
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits, or any fat-free butter substitute

Make crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly spray a (9-inch) springform pan with cooking spray. Mix crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and crust is set. Cool on rack.

Make filling: In large bowl with electric mixer on medium-high, beat cream cheese and sour cream for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar or sugar substitute. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until incorporated. Beat in zest and juice. Pour into crust. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until center is almost set, but still slightly jiggly. (Do not overbake, as it will firm as it cools). Let cool completely.

Make lemon curd: In the top of a double boiler, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, egg yolk, and sugar or sugar substitute over gently simmering water. Whisk until hot and frothy, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in butter and continue whisking for 7 minutes or until thickened and coats back of spoon. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes.

Run a thin blade around the edge of the springform pan and remove sides. Transfer to a serving plate. Spread lemon curd over top. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries and zest, if desired. Cool cheesecake in refrigerator several hours or overnight before serving

Espresso-Hazelnut Cheesecakes With Orange Caramel Sauce

Biscotti Crust, recipe follows
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons finely ground toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons Frangelico, or other nut-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons unsweetened espresso concentrate
Clear Orange Caramel Sauce, recipe follows

Spray 8 (10-ounce) disposable paper coffee cups with vegetable cooking spray. Divide the biscotti crust (about 3 1/2 tablespoons for each) among the prepared cups. Press down to make a thick bottom crust. Place on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before filling with the cheesecake batter.

Lower the oven temperature to 225 degrees F.

In a large bowl fitted with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add to the cream cheese and beat until smooth.

Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla together in a small mixing bowl. Add to the cream cheese mixture in 4 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add 1 cup of the sour cream and beat to blend. Pour half of the batter into another bowl. To 1 bowl add the hazelnut paste and liqueur, and beat to blend. To the remaining half, add the espresso and beat to blend.

To make the sour cream topping, whisk the remaining 2 cups of sour cream and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pour 1/4 cup of the hazelnut mixture into each prepared cup, and top with 1/4 cup of the espresso mixture. Bake until set, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each cheesecake with 1/4 cup of the sour cream topping. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Biscotti Crust:
6 hazelnut biscotti cookies
2 teaspoons finely ground toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dried fine bread crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Clear Orange-Caramel Sauce:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup fresh orange juice

Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Butterfinger Cheesecake
1 pound cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/4 cup caramel
1/4 cup chocolate covered peanut butter bars, coarsely chopped (recommended: Butterfinger) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Happy Cheesecakes!!