Kitchen Hint of the Day!

When preparing a cheesecake, go exactly by the recipe and don't make any substitutions. You'll have a

much better chance at success. Here are some other pointers for perfect cheesecake.



* Be sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature before using it.

* When you bake a cheesecake at a low temperature there's less chance of it shrinking from the sides of the pan.

* Don't open the oven for the first 30 minutes when baking cheesecake. The cheesecake may develop cracks or partially collapse.

* Cheesecakes will develop cracks when they are overcooked. They're done when the center of the cake is still wobbly and shaky - which may look underdone to you.

* Flourless cheesecakes need to be baked in a pan of water(called a bain-marie, or water bath) to keep the eggs from coagulating.

* Cheesecake cracks can be repaired with whipped cream cheese or sweetened sour cream, but you'll be able to see the repair. It's better to top the cake with berries if it has too many cracks.