Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a rich pie or custard, not a cake, consisting of a graham cracker or cookie crumbled crust and a soft cheese filling. In the United States, cream cheese is the most common cheese used, though other soft cheeses can be used as well. Cheesecake flavors are unlimited, ranging from from chocolate to key lime to plain.

Cheesecake can be either no-bake or baked. The baked cheesecake usually contains eggs, requiring cooking, and it has a creamy rich texture. The no-bake cheesecake may be made from a mix or from a recipe, and it has a fluffy light filling, sometimes using gelatin to set. Refrigeration is required for both types. Nuts, candies, and fruits may be added for a change in flavor, and fresh berries, cherry topping, chocolate syrup or shavings or chips can be used to top the cheesecake. Pumpkin and peppermint cheesecakes are popular flavors for the holidays.

The New York style of cheesecake, originating in delicatessens in the early 20th century, uses heavy cream to supplement the cream cheese and give the tart a smoother texture. For a complete guide on making your own, visit Mahalo's page on How to Make New York Cheesecake.

Sour cream cheesecake is made with significantly less heavy cream, or does without it completely. Variations of this recipe may utilize a graham cracker crust. This is known as Ann Arbor cheesecake.

The taste of cheesecake has become recognizable enough in American culture to precipitate the inclusion of cheesecake flavors in other products, such as yogurt, ice cream and other baked desserts.

• New York style cheesecake
• Chicago style cheesecake
• Pennsylvania Dutch style cheesecake
• Sour cream cheesecake
• Roman cheesecake
• French cheesecake

• JELL-O No-Bake Cheesecake