I have lately been dissing KitchenAid. This is because of recurrent problems (over the past ten years) with my Kitchenaid Superba double wall oven. My thrice-repaired KitchenAid dishwasher was replaced by a Sears Kenmore model.
Ten years ago, when we moved into this house, we purchased all new kitchen appliances--all KitchenAid. My KitchenAid stand mixer was a free bonus. It's worked well through the years--no complaints! I would recommend buying one.
Food writer Amy Rosen http://www.thenationalnosh.blogspot.com/ printed Anna Olson's recipe for Celebration Cheesecake in her newspaper column "Dish". The recipe was provided by KitchenAid, probably as part of a promotion for the KitchenAid stand mixer. This is a big cheesecake, but the KitchenAid stand mixer has no problem handling large quantities of mixture.
I clipped the recipe and now that my KitchenAid oven has been repaired, wanted to make the cheesecake.
But when I read through the recipe, I realized it wouldn't work for me, in my oven. Scan down--the recipe requires the filled cake be baked in an oven with "the oven door cracked open slightly". My Kitchenaid Superba double wall oven stops working as soon as you open the oven door.
This is probably a safety feature as the oven has a convection feature and can cook at high heat. It also means the oven can't be used to broil anything properly, as a guest chef discovered when he came to make dinner at my house and unsuccessfully tried to use the oven to carmelize the sugar on top of the creme brulee. You can't broil in this oven. Or bake with the door slightly open.
So, if you have a "regular" oven, try this recipe. Enjoy!
Anna Olson's Celebration Cheesecake, recipe provided by KitchenAid
Serves 12-16
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham crumbs
4 tsp sugar
dash of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2-1/2 lbs (1.25 kg) cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 vanilla bean
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs, room temperature
fresh berries for garnish
icing sugar for garnish
Crust Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine flour, graham crumbs, sugar, salt. Add melted butter. Mix till evenly crumbly.
Press crust into a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, pressing up the sides a bit.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Cool.
Filling Instructions: Reduce oven to 300 degrees F.
Cream cheese in a KitchenAid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until smooth and fluffy, scraping sides of the bowl frequently.
Gradually add sugar, scraping sides often.
Add in flour, scraped seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping sides.
Scrape filling into the springform pan on top of the baked, cooled crust.
Place the springform pan into a baking pan with edges and fill the baking pan with boiling water one inch up the sides.
Place in preheated 300 degree F. oven--keep the oven door cracked open slightly--and bake for 90 minutes.
Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. It is essential to chill overnight.
Serving Instructions:
After the cake has chilled at least overnight in the fridge, remove from fridge and gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing the springform ring.
Top cheesecake with fresh berries.
Dust with icing sugar.
Cheesecake cuts best with a hot, dry knife.
