did someone say Cheesecake?

I'm baking my little heart out today; cheesecake #2 is currently in the oven as I type. These cheesecakes are for the deployed spouses brunch that is being given on Saturday. They need to be thoroughly chilled before eating. Tomorrow I'll be baking yet another one...that one will be for my husband :) as he dearly loves cheesecake.

I have different recipes for different sized cheesecake pans. Since I have 3 different sized spring-form cheesecake pans (8, 9 and 10 inch), I have at least a dozen different recipes for my husbands favorite...New York Cheesecake. Then of course there are the other kinds...Raspberry, Blueberry, Zebra and many more.

If you've never made a cheesecake before, do not be afraid! They are fun to make and even more fun to share with friends! The trick is letting your ingredients get to room temperature, beat them until they are very smooth and creamy. Philadelphia brand cream cheese works best. Trust me I've tried a couple of other brands and it just isn't the same. Those other brands are just too dry, they aren't creamy and they make a dreadfully dry cheesecake that cracks all over the place. I do place the big cake pan filled of boiling hot water on the lower rack in the oven with my cheesecakes to keep the air moist...and it did not matter with those "other" brands of cream cheese. So I stick to the brands that work best for me.