Thread: Cheesecake bars flopped royally. Wha'?

On 12/5/2010 6:03 PM, Kalmia wrote:
> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. Drizzled melted jam on top. It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. Oh
> sure, edible - but only by fork. No way could anyone pick these up as
> a finger treat. Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> still soft.
>
> A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. Could this be
> the binder these pathetic bars needed? I got the recipe off a recipe
> site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.

It seems like they need something like that, or maybe flour?

--
Currently reading: To Try Men's Souls by Newt Gingrich and William
Forstchen

On Dec 5, 6:03*pm, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. *Drizzled melted jam on top. *It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. *Oh
> sure, edible - but only by fork. *No way could anyone pick these up as
> a finger treat. *Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> still soft.
>
> A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. *Could this be
> the binder these pathetic bars needed? *I got the recipe off a recipe
> site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.

Was the basic ratio 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and one
egg? If so then they should have set up if they had been baked
properly.

Kalmia <[email protected]> wrote in news:4944819b-4b6c-48cf-ab8b-
[email protected]:

> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. Drizzled melted jam on top. It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. Oh
> sure, edible - but only by fork. No way could anyone pick these up as
> a finger treat. Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> still soft.
>
> A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. Could this be
> the binder these pathetic bars needed? I got the recipe off a recipe
> site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.



Got a copy of the recipe?

Did you use enough/right sized eggs?



--
Peter Lucas
Hobart
Tasmania

The act of feeding someone is an act of beauty,
whether it's a full Sunday roast or a jam sandwich,
but only when done with love.

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 15:03:59 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
>baked shortbread crumb base. Drizzled melted jam on top. It said to
>bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
>I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. Oh
>sure, edible - but only by fork. No way could anyone pick these up as
>a finger treat. Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
>still soft.
>
>A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. Could this be
>the binder these pathetic bars needed? I got the recipe off a recipe
>site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.

May we see the recipe please, that would help us figure out what might
have gone wrong.

koko
--
Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

www.kokoscornerblog.com
Updated 12/03/10

Natural Watkins Spices
www.apinchofspices.com

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 15:03:59 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. Drizzled melted jam on top. It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. Oh
> sure, edible - but only by fork. No way could anyone pick these up as
> a finger treat. Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> still soft.
>
> A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. Could this be
> the binder these pathetic bars needed? I got the recipe off a recipe
> site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.

Compare it to another recipe that you know turns out the way you want.
Do you have enough eggs for the amount of cream cheese? Maybe all you
need to do is cook it a little longer next time.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 15:03:59 -0800 (PST), Kalmia wrote:

> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. Drizzled melted jam on top. It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up.

Was it regular cream cheese, and not Lite or neufchatel?

I know my mother would always wonder why a recipe didn't work out
only to find out she used the wrong stuff. But when I'd look in
the trash, che could have "sworn" it was regular cream cheese (or
sour cream, etc..). It wasn't. It was light or fat free.

She was not very good at reading labels, and not because of
eyesight.

-sw

On Dec 5, 7:07*pm, Sqwertz <sqwe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
> On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 15:03:59 -0800 (PST), Kalmia wrote:
> > The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> > baked shortbread crumb base. *Drizzled melted jam on top. *It said to
> > bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> > I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up.
>
> Was it regular cream cheese, and not Lite or neufchatel? *
>
> I know my mother would always wonder why a recipe didn't work out
> only to find out she used the wrong stuff. *But when I'd look in
> the trash, che could have "sworn" it was regular cream cheese (or
> sour cream, etc..). *It wasn't. *It was light or fat free.
>


Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! I bet that was the culprit. I guess
they are NOT interchangeable.
I think I'll still go back to the old recipe - the one which called
for the cornstarch. I want to take these to an Xmas party - hence,
the dry run.

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 16:47:20 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! I bet that was the culprit. I guess
> they are NOT interchangeable.

I've interchanged Neufchatel with regular and never had a problem, but
I've never tried it with lite cream cheese.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Dec 5, 8:07*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 16:47:20 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
>
> <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> > Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! *I bet that was the culprit. *I guess
> > they are NOT interchangeable.
>
> I've interchanged Neufchatel with regular and never had a problem, but
> I've never tried it with lite cream cheese.


I just reread the recipe and it called for either the Neuf or reg.
cream cheese. Hmph!!

I'm going back to my old recipe and using graham cracker crust too
instead of the shortbread.

In article <1uhjnua5pu6pj$.[email protected]>,
Sqwertz <[email protected]> wrote:


> I know my mother would always wonder why a recipe didn't work out
> only to find out she used the wrong stuff. But when I'd look in
> the trash, che could have "sworn" it was regular cream cheese (or
> sour cream, etc..). It wasn't. It was light or fat free.
>
> She was not very good at reading labels, and not because of
> eyesight.

When I was a kid, it was a standing joke in our house that my mother
didn't read the directions on packages. I didn't get it. It wasn't
until she was dead for decades that I finally got it. When she came to
the US, she didn't know any English!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 17:09:51 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Dec 5, 8:07*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 16:47:20 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
>>
>> <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>> > Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! *I bet that was the culprit. *I guess
>> > they are NOT interchangeable.
>>
>> I've interchanged Neufchatel with regular and never had a problem, but
>> I've never tried it with lite cream cheese.
>
>
>I just reread the recipe and it called for either the Neuf or reg.
>cream cheese. Hmph!!
>
>I'm going back to my old recipe and using graham cracker crust too
>instead of the shortbread.

I'm sorry, I guess I missed where you posted the recipe you used,
could you please re-post it?

koko
--
Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

www.kokoscornerblog.com
Updated 12/03/10

Natural Watkins Spices
www.apinchofspices.com

http://mlvb.net/goort.net/what-can-i...secake-recipe/

On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:07:12 -0800, sf wrote:

> On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 16:47:20 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! I bet that was the culprit. I guess
>> they are NOT interchangeable.
>
> I've interchanged Neufchatel with regular and never had a problem, but
> I've never tried it with lite cream cheese.

Of course she hasn't tried it in this recipe. She just wants to
undermine my correct answer.

Good 'ol Barbara.

Nuefchatel has 33% more water instead of 33% more fat. That's a
66% difference over regular cream cheese. It is not good for many
recipes calling for cream cheese.

-sw

On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 17:09:51 -0800 (PST), Kalmia wrote:

> On Dec 5, 8:07*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 16:47:20 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
>>
>> <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>>> Oh, shoot - it was neufchatel!! *I bet that was the culprit. *I guess
>>> they are NOT interchangeable.
>>
>> I've interchanged Neufchatel with regular and never had a problem, but
>> I've never tried it with lite cream cheese.
>
> I just reread the recipe and it called for either the Neuf or reg.
> cream cheese. Hmph!!

It's *NOT* though. You have a recipe where somebody at one point
put in a "heathier" alternative without testing it first. I'd bet
$100 it works with regular cream cheese.

-sw

On Dec 5, 6:03*pm, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> baked shortbread crumb base. *Drizzled melted jam on top. *It said to
> bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. *Oh
> sure, edible - but only by fork. *No way could anyone pick these up as
> a finger treat. *Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> still soft.
>
> A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. *Could this be
> the binder these pathetic bars needed? *I got the recipe off a recipe
> site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.

My guess is you were so concerned about the center being "jiggly" that
you ended up underbaking it. You don't want the center to be
completely firm but you do want it to be set. If it's still liquidy
it's not done.

I run into the same dilemma when I bake a pecan pie once a year for
Thanksgiving. At the end of the minimum baking time I give the pie a
gentle shake. If the whole thing shakes like gelatin then I know it's
done. If I see any sloshing or definite movement in the center then I
leave it in for 3 more minutes and check it again. If it doesn't
jiggle at all then it's overdone.

On Dec 6, 1:33*am, "djs0...@aol.com" <djs0...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Dec 5, 6:03*pm, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>
> > The recipe called for cream cheese, sugar, egg - mix and spread over a
> > baked shortbread crumb base. *Drizzled melted jam on top. *It said to
> > bake til edges firm but center still 'jiggly'.
>
> > I let em sit in fridge overnight, but they still didn't set up. *Oh
> > sure, edible - but only by fork. *No way could anyone pick these up as
> > a finger treat. *Even after they sat in the freezer for many hours -
> > still soft.
>
> > A similar recipe I used to use called for cornstarch. *Could this be
> > the binder these pathetic bars needed? *I got the recipe off a recipe
> > site - I re-read it - nothing was omitted.
>
> My guess is you were so concerned about the center being "jiggly" that
> you ended up underbaking it. *You don't want the center to be
> completely firm but you do want it to be set. *If it's still liquidy
> it's not done.
>
> I run into the same dilemma when I bake a pecan pie once a year for
> Thanksgiving. *At the end of the minimum baking time I give the pie a
> gentle shake. *If the whole thing shakes like gelatin then I know it's
> done. *If I see any sloshing or definite movement in the center then I
> leave it in for 3 more minutes and check it again. * If it doesn't
> jiggle at all then it's overdone.

You could be right. My oven tends to undercook, shall we say. If
instructions read "bake 18-20 minutes", I always need to let em go to
21 or 22 minutes. Even with the oven thermometer, they just seem to
need that extra time. Maybe 'jiggly' wasn't quite the right
terminology either.

On Dec 5, 9:27*pm, Sqwertz <sqwe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:

> Neufchatel has 33% more water instead of 33% more fat. *That's a
> 66% difference over regular cream cheese. *It is not good for many
> recipes calling for cream cheese.


I will engrave this fact in stone (i.e. on a note inside cupboard
door) for future reference.

> I know my mother would always wonder why a recipe didn't work out
> only to find out she used the wrong stuff. *But when I'd look in
> the trash, che could have "sworn" it was regular cream cheese (or
> sour cream, etc..). *It wasn't. *It was light or fat free.
>
> She was not very good at reading labels, and not because of
> eyesight.
>
> -sw

I substitute 1/3 less fat or fat-free for regular cream cheese all the
time, in baked goods AND cheesecake, and have never had a "fail."

N.

On Mon, 6 Dec 2010 07:41:50 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Dec 5, 9:27*pm, Sqwertz <sqwe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>
> > Neufchatel has 33% more water instead of 33% more fat. *That's a
> > 66% difference over regular cream cheese. *It is not good for many
> > recipes calling for cream cheese.
>
>
> I will engrave this fact in stone (i.e. on a note inside cupboard
> door) for future reference.
>
People who actually *know* how to cook can use them interchangeably.
People like squirts, to whom cooking is more theory than practice,
will screw it up every time.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.