A Delectable Base For When You Need A Dessert In A Hurry
As our bi-weekly game night was quickly impending, I was faced with the fact that I had promised one of my fellow compatriots a cheesecake. Now, I have made real cheesecakes plenty of times. However, there are just some times that I don't feel like cracking out a bain marie and eggs. I know, how incredibly lazy and slothful of moi!!!
So my dear followers, I took the easy out and made a fake from scratch cheesecake. I draw the line at buying pre-made graham cracker crust and filling, I mean, I was already being a horrid monster of a person by not making a "real" cheesecake, at least I didn't let my cookery standards drop too far.
I'm just being slightly sarcastic here my peeps, I have no aspersions about utilizing (or others utilizing) ready made ingredients, none at all, I just tend to like to make from scratch most of the food that I and the people in my life nosh on.
To begin my crust making operation I selected a 9X13 pan. This recipe is for a crowd sized dessert or for a group of people that like to consume massive quantities. I would never judge when it comes to dessert inhalation. This blue pan just recently returned home after spending two years in my friend's kitchen. It had went to her house full of Brownie Surprise for Super Bowl and decided to move in for a spell. I figured a proper homecoming would be to utilize Old Bluie for my game night cheesecake mission. Prodigal Pan stuff.
Next, I needed some graham cracker crumbs. I am sure you can probably buy them ready made, but seriously, it only takes like two minutes to make them in the food processor. Back when I wasn't a 1%er, I just crushed the grahams with a rolling pin, but now I give the sheets a whirl in the old Cuisinart(Eternal thanks go to my garage sale Grandma!). Don't worry, I took them out of the plastic first!
Crumbs made to my non-excellent standards, I proceeded in my crust creation by placing the former grahams in a bowl. A sprinkle of cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar, and I had a potential cheesecake base mixture a workin'.
I slathered that carb heavy conglomeration in a small ton of melted butter and mixed it into a well interspersed fat and starch bomb.
Next, came the engineering part of the recipe. Crust pressing. Now, as some of you know, I am straight line challenged. That disability also applies to crust pressing. One side of my crust tends to have more depth than the other. Guess what side I grab my piece out of! YAY! Anyway, I like to press my crusts with my 1 cup stainless steel measuring cup as it has the absolute best pressing surface. I spray it with cooking spray or slather it with butter and press like a boss. Wish that kind of pressing worked my triceps. That would be excellent, but I digress.
Pressing done to almost non-perfection, I popped my crust into the awaiting oven. 10-12 minutes later my house smelled like the Keebler Elf tree and I had a cheesecake base fit for perfection! The whole process, minus baking time, took less than ten minutes, and on another day when I don't have to take some children to a movie, I will regale you all with my quick, fast, and in a hurry, no bake cheesecake and strawberry sauce recipes. The combination of the caramely, hint of cinnamon crust, with the creamy notes of lemon cheesecake filling, and gooey homegrown strawberry sauce accompaniment elicited many sighs of contentment at game night last night!
Quick Graham Cracker Crust For A Crowd
2 Packages graham crackers (18 sheets)
12 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Granulated SugarPreheat oven to 325 degrees
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor. You want to leave them with a bit of texture, do not grind them into dust!
Pour graham cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl and add both the sugars and the cinnamon. Give the mixture a stir to incorporate everything.
Pour melted butter over the top of the mixture and mix it all up. I use a silicon spatula for this operation.
I have also been known to use my hands to combine everything as well. Call me a kitchen heathen if you want, but >sometimes our meat mits are the best mixers!Press graham mixture in a 9X13 pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the sides of your crust to be a delectable golden brown.
Let your crust cool completely and top it with any manifestation of chilled dessert-type awesomeness you desire!!
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