Baked Eggnog Cheesecake—Prototype 26:
 
Okay, this time let's try more xanthan gum. And, for the sake of adding more baking time, hopefully without the top turning out too brown, let's try something new for eggnog cheesecakes—two-installment baking!
 
2-to-1 Blend of Yogurt Cheese and Cottage Cheese (1CT-2YG):
Prepare ahead of time 16 ounces of yogurt cheese, derived from one 32-ounce container of nonfat yogurt. If the resulting yogurt cheese falls below 16 ounces, add back enough of the whey (that was strained out from the yogurt) to make up the difference. To this yogurt cheese combine 8 ounces (1 cup) of whipped, lowfat cottage cheese.

Batter:
24 oz. (about 3 cups) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6/10 (about) teaspoon rum extract (but see comments below)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/3 tablespoons xanthan gum (tip: blend this in before adding the eggnog)
2 cups light eggnog
3 eggs

Place about 2/3 of this batter into a greased 13" x 9" glass ("Pyrex") pan, and bake in tub at 300 degrees for 70 minutes. After this is done, remove from oven and carefully add the remaining 1/3 batter on top of the earlier installment. Return to oven and continue baking at 300 degrees for another 80 minutes. Shut off oven afterwards, leaving door slightly ajar, for 60 minutes. Next, remove pan containing cheesecake from tub and oven, and let cool at room temperature for 120 minutes, then (with cheesecake still in pan) refrigerate.

Eggnog Cheesecake—Prototype 26

It seemed like the increases in the xanthan gum and baking time were a little helpful in increasing the cheesecake's stability.

As for the rum extract, I wanted to use 1 teaspoon of it, just like I had done in my last few eggnog prototypes. So why was there a rather weird 6/10 of a teaspoon for this one?

Because I had only that much on hand, that's why (and I did not feel like making a grocery run just for that ingredient—I felt that I could manage with this reduced amount).
 

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