Cheesecake question

Cheesecake)

It's sort of hard to tell someone if they should change the temperature when they don't list the temperature. In general, cheesecakes are baked at a rather low temperature. The water bath assures that the temperature around the cake will not rise above 212F regardless of the temperature of the oven. The risk of baking at too high a temperature while using a water bath is that the top will brown too much or set too early. My general advice would be to leave the temperature alone and monitor the top for browning.

Margarine is not a monolithic product. Most items that people think of as "margarine" are actually "spreads." If you are truly using margarine which should be 80% fat, then you can easily substitute butter. In any case, I would just use butter. You are only making a thin crust and it will make very little difference what fat you use in a crumb crust. I like to make a sponge layer under my cheesecake.

I don't have a recipe for banana nut cheesecake but if you have a cheesecake that you like, I would recommend that you just add a cup of mashed banana pulp to the batter. If that doesn't make the flavor strong enough, you might consider using some banana extract and/or substituting some of the liquid in the recipe with banana liquor. The addition of the nuts should make very little difference no matter what recipe you use as they are just suspended in the batter.

If you don't want to experiment with your favorite recipe, you might check out this search for banana cheesecakes. If you won't nuts, just add some.

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Thanks for the response! The recipe I have calls for 350 for 40 minutes.

Darrin

Cheesecake)

Going by the various recipes I have, it doesn't seem to me as if you'd need to change the temperature. Cooking time always varies with cheesecakes, so it's best to wait until 10 minutes before it is supposed to be done, and check it every 5-8 minutes. The center should still move a little when jiggled, but the outer 1 1/2 inches should be firm.

Yes, by all means, replace that margarine with butter. I mean, I could tell you to use Smart Balance for baking, but when it comes to cheesecake, lowfat isn't exactly the goal, right? Same amount, just swap it out.

This is the one I made for my brother in law's birthday. It was a huge hit, and if you throw the pecans for the topping in a skillet with a bit of cinnamon, brown sugar, and a touch of butter, you can candy them quickly, adding another layer of flavor.

Banana Nut Caramel Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted, and divided in half + 2 quarters (1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/4 cup) 2 cups sugar, divided 1 cup of butter 2 pounds of cream cheese 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 eggs (bring to room temp, about 1 hr, prior to making batter) 1 cup mashed banana, very ripe

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray pan with cooking spray
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, pecans and 1 cup of sugar. Add butter and mix until all holds together. Press in pan on bottom and about 1 inch up the sides
3. Mix together cream cheese until smooth then add in 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the caramel topping and cinnamon until blended well. Make sure it is smooth now; once you add the eggs it is almost impossible to get lumps out.
4. Add eggs one at a time making sure the egg is well blended before adding the next egg. Add banana and remaining pecans, and mix well. Pour into crust.
5. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes until the center is almost firm. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes then refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
6. Remove from fridge, and slightly warm remaining caramel topping. Drizzle with a fork over the surface of the cheesecake. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Chill until 15 min prior to serving.

Enjoy!

kimberly