This week, I got it in my head that I wanted to make cheesecake. I didn’t remember what recipe I used before, but this time, I followed Alton Brown’s Sour Cream Cheesecake recipe . The recipe calls for the use of a 9 inch cake pan. I had 4-4.5 inch springform pans. So what was I to do? Not only was I trying a new recipe, I was also attempting to modify it! And I don’t own an electric mixer. But chopsticks and spatulas have not failed me yet, so I was good to go.

While I stayed fairly true to ingredient amounts, I modified the oven time to account for my individual pans and reviewer comments on how the bake times were too short. I paced about nervously like a soccer mom with too much caffeine. I would turn on the oven lights every ten minutes or so, and violently shake the oven so I could see how much the cheesecake jiggled- much like what people do to the vending machines that refuse to relinquish their product. And the verdict always was: Still jiggly! Curses!

Back to more pacing for ten minutes before I would check again. Mike thought I was a bit loopy. The cheesecake was still very jiggly after 1.5 hours. I gave up and found that it set nicely after I turned off the oven. Whew. The end result turned out quite well.

AB Cheesecake Recipe, modified to produce four smaller cheesecakes:

Crust:
* 1 sleeve plus a few Honeymaid graham crackers
* 3/4 unsalted butter (3 oz) plus a lil
* 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:
* 20 ounces cream cheese
* 1 1/4 cups sour cream
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 3 yolks
* 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line individual pans with foil, and brush with butter. Fill two large pyrex pans with hot hot water (boiling would be better, but I just turned the tap to the hottest possible setting because I’m lazy) and place in oven to preheat.

Combine crumbled graham crackers, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press mixture into the bottom of each pan. Place remaining crumbs on foil and bake both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve additional crumb mixture for sides.

Beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and cup of sugar and mix for 30 seconds or so. More if you have lumps.

In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs/yolks and heavy cream in a small bowl. Slowly pour this mixture into the cream cheese mixture while stirring with a spatula. Once completely combined, pour into cooled crusts.

Lower oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Place cheesecakes into the preheated water baths in the oven for 1.5 hours. Open the oven door for a little bit (10 seconds). Turn the oven off, close door and leave cheesecake to set for one more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place in the refrigerator to completely cool. ( I admit that Mike and I ate one right away. It was 11pm, and we wanted cheesecake! )

When ready to serve, take the remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.

The snack (well, mini lunch, really) that I tend to make most often involves slices of bread, fruit, and cheese. While the cheese and fruit are highly variable, the bread is not substitutable. Whole Grains Bakery makes a dark russian rye bread that is full of pumpernickel and just the right amount of caraway seed. This bread toasts nicely, and each bite is earthy and flavorful. MmMMMmmm… pumpernickel…

and now it is all in my belly. Mwahahah… okay, mike had some too.. that thief…