I”m pushing the envelope and thinking (smoking) outside the box today. I love love love cheesecake. I get in so much trouble when I make one because I just can’t stop nibbling on it. I still haven’t decided if I like the creaminess of the cheesecake or the sweet crunch crust more. It is a tie most of the time.
So now I have added a whole other taste component that brings my cheesecake to a new level. SMOKE. Now most of you are saying “what”. I have to tell you when I first thought about doing this and mentioned to a few friends they all said I was crazy. Well, I know that, but what about the cheesecake? So I decided to just give it a try. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!! There was just the right amount of smokiness that it didn’t overwhelm the cheesecake. In fact, the second day when I took it out of the refrigerator and opened the container, the smokiness that came out of the dish was intoxicating. The smoke seemed to seep into the cheesecake after sitting in the fridge overnight too.
So y’all need to start thinking outside the box in the kitchen and just try things that might seem odd, but you think might be good. You might just surprise yourself like I did.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 c finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1/2 c sugar
FILLING
- 4- (8) oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 c sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon zest
Directions
1 To prepare crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan, use your finger or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling
2 To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and the lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed, but not over beaten. (Over beating incorporates to much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling.) Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
3 Place in smoker preheated to 275° and bake/smoke for 2 hours. I used cherry wood, but any other fruit wood would work.
4 Remove from smoker, let completely cool and then place in refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best, but I have never been able to wait that long.
ENJOY
I’ve had issues with my crust coming out real hard. Do you have any advice to remedy this?
Add 1 tablespoon of butter or lower the heat by 10°. Both has worked for me
Can you add 1\4 cup of key lime juice to make it a Keylime Cheesecake. Should I cut the sour cream in half.