Cheesecake anyone?

This weekend I decided to bake Cheesecake! I made it from scratch like I did for last weeks croissants so it was a bit difficult but it was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. In order to make the crust I had to buy whole "Nilla Wafers" in a box, tie them up in a bag and crush them using a hammer and the counter. I had never tried making homemade crust like this so it was a first, but the crust turned out pretty good compared to how I thought it might. To make the actual filling I had to use a number of ingredients such as sugar, flour, eggs, whipping cream, and A LOT of cream cheese! I originally thought it would be too much but it surprisingly ended up being the perfect amount. The time spent cooking the cheesecake this week was definitely the longest I've ever spent with food in the oven. It was cooking for almost 2 hours and then had to be chilled in the fridge for about a day so I started making the cheesecake Friday afternoon. I also made a couple mini ones just so I could try it without ruining the appearance of the whole pie. Here are some pictures of the process:

(it got a little cracked...)

What made this week most special wasn't what I cooked, but instead who I met. Saturday morning when I walked into PATH, I wasn't greeted by Chanee, the receptionist who is usually there, because she was off at that time. Instead, I saw another man. After I walked in I introduced myself, told him how I come every weekend with baked goods, and showed him what I made this week. With a warm smile he told me " Just walk straight to the back until you see the dining room, and give them the cheesecake. Oh, and tell them you brought it for the big football game they'll love it." So following what he said, I walked down the hall to the dining room, nervous with anticipation, thinking about who I might see and what they'll think. I walked in seeing the football game on TV with one man on the couch and two men standing up cleaning. I told them my name, explained my project and how I love to bake and , and showed them what I brought for this week. I was greeted by the two men standing up. One who was white, brown haired, with a mustache and a genuine smile introduced himself as Bruce and shook my hand. The other man who was African American and wearing a beanie if I remember correctly didn't say his name but we shook hands as well. I told them how this was the first time I had ever made cheesecake so it might not be that great but they reassured me and said "That's sweet I'm sure its great thank you!" with honest smiles and appreciative attitudes. Those 1 or 2 minutes during our encounter showed me how happy I made them when I brought a simple dessert once a week, and it made me just as happy to know that I made the smallest difference by making their football game different from all the other ones. Although I missed the chance to show Chanee the food that I brought this week and hear her opinion, I got the chance to make 2 new friends and see how they received my desserts. The hours mixing, pouring, baking, and cooling were definitely worth the smile I had on the whole ride home :)

For the recipe of this weeks cheesecake go to:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker