Merry Christmas...Again!

Tonight my boss, Bob, invited everyone from the Lab, X-Ray, and Pediatrics to his house for our Christmas Party. I made Quiche Lorraine a la Christopher, Chocolate Cream Pie, and New York Cheesecake.

I've yet to mention my cheesecake. Allow me to explain. I make THE best Cheesecake in the known universe. End of discussion.

I have been making the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens website for nearly ten years now. I have perfected it after many mistakes, and I am constantly tweaking things to compensate for calories and varying tastes. However, as you may deduce from the picture I am attempting to upload, it's a crowd pleaser.



I am proud of how this cheesecake turned out. Thanks to one of my coworkers, I learned a slightly different technique in the mixing of ingredients to allow for a smoother and creamier texture. For years I had been combining the cream cheese with the sugar, flower, and then the eggs and the cream after the cheese had been combined. However, I have noticed that if I first mix the eggs and cream with the cream cheese, the texture is more favorable. Also, I think it is wise to use Nuefchatel cream cheese. It is made with goat's milk and as such it is naturally lower in fat than traditional Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I also find it to be softer and to have a more robust flavor that combines quite harmoniously with the other ingredients.

The most important thing about the cheesecake recipe, though, is that I have made it my own. I have added personal touches and extra ingredients for a unique flavor and combined with a little finessing I have produced a wonderful desert that people I cook for very much enjoy.

This Christmas was a financially trying holiday. Many of my co-workers honored me with presents that I could not afford to reciprocate. Tonight I was able to return the favor in the form of cooking. The pie was rich and chocolatey, the Quiche was flavorful without being morosely fattening, and the Cheesecake was, in my opinion, to die for. Bob even suggested I compete in the 2010 local fair. I may like to do that. It's time I started earning my place as respected Pastry Chef.