Historical February 1985 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
(Editor’s Note: February’s Macho Menu writer is Bob Dowgwillo. Bob is an aerodynamicist with McDonnell Douglas and has been in St. Louis for five years.
He moved into the neighborhood about four years ago and has been busy renovating a duplex in the 6100 block of Pershing. Bob was one of the founding forces behind the Steinberg Skating Rink Advisory Board, and enjoys tennis and playing the guitar.) by Bob Dowgwillo I call this delight “Connecticut Yankee” cheesecake because a) I am a Yankee, and, b) I came upon the recipe while living in Connecticut.
Besides, what true Missourian wouldn’t recognize that name. Part of the fun of making a cheesecake is that it can give instant credibility to any bachelor cook where there was none before.
For once, friends inviting you to dinner ask you to bring dessert instead of Fritos. You no longer mistake “spring form pan” for an obscure British musical troupe.
In short, you can look all those Julia Childes square in the eye.
Before we begin, please note that this is the real McCoy, pure 100% cheesecake.
Not cake-and-cheese cake, not Jello-andcheese cake, not assorted-inert-ingredients-and-cheese cake.
This is where we take pounds out of our wallets and deposit them on our waistlines. Ingredients 11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 5-6 eggs 11/2 cups sugar 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese 1 8-oz. tub of sour cream vanilla extract butter Begin with the pie crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with enough melted butter to hold the crust together. Press into a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan, taking the crust fairly high up the sides of the pan. Try to keep the crust from getting too thick. Set the crust in the freezer.
The batter is made by blending together the cream cheese, eggs, one cup of the sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla, adding the eggs one at a time. I’ve substituted orange extract for vanilla with good results.
This is a job for an electric mixer, though I have done it with a spoon! Presoftening the cream cheese will help. Pour the batter into the now-chilled pie crust. Use a fork to knock onto the batter any crust not covered by the batter.
This is strictly for eye appeal. Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by combining the sour cream, 1/2 cup of the sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla in a bowl.
When cake is done, remove from oven and spread on the topping. Heat the oven to 425°F and bake the cake for another five minutes.
The finished cake should be cooled slowly, first to room temperature, then refrigerate. Serve in small slices. You can get too much of a good thing.
Original photograph caption
Bob Dowgwillo with his Connecticut Yankee cheesecake. The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February 1985, page 5. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February 1985.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1985_02.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
