Customer Reviews

Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When it comes to the United States, New York seems THE place to live and eat!! From yet another delicious food emporium, comes a new classic to place on your bookshelf. I can't believe it was possible to come up with cheesecake recipes that could beat any of the usual tasty standards, but to my fellow cheeseheads, this is it!! I have already made several for my family and friends, and they have all raved over the taste and texture.

The book is a heavy ode to that lovely brick of cheese that can make the pickiest tastebud take notice. The physical layout of the book itself reminds you of the old soda parlors with it glossy cover of bright white and dairy-red color, then it draws you into it's pages with sharp, clear photography. One of the pleasant surprises contained are the sidebars of hints and suggestions for making these cakes the finest in texture and flavor. They begin with the essentials of cheesecake baking with every detail covered to ensure your success from the right type of cream cheese needed to the pans to bake them in, to water baths to ensure their creaminess. Then they begin with the fabulous recipes. The writing is straight and simple for the home baker, yet professional enough for an accomplished baker. And by the way, realize that these are not for the dieting, health-conscious, low-fat eater; more for those who wisely have a pair of elastic waist pants.

Junior's is a family restaurant in Brooklyn, New York that opened in the 1950's, though it acutally got started several decades earlier, under another form of restaurant, by Grandpa Henry Rosen around 1929. It was in the 50's, that the official Junior's was christened. This wonderful story of family, dedication, and hard work is just part of the threads of history that are woven into the story of Junior's in the first section. The book breaks down into:

THE STORY OF JUNIOR'S CHEESECAKE

JUNIOR'S CHEESECAKE 101 (how to make the 4 different types of angelic crusts, fillings, how to bake it, garnishes/topping, problem solving, preparing the pans, etc.)

JUNIOR'S FAVORITES:
Original New York Style Cheesecake (the absolute BEST, creamiest cake)
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake with Macaroon Crunch
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Cappuccino Cheesecake (caffeine addicts unite!)
Peanut Butter & Jelly Cheesecake
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake

CHEESECAKES WITH FRUIT:
White Chocolate & Raspberry Swirl (sweet but w/ a raspberry sharpness)
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Junior's Cheesecake Tart (a very beautiful presentation)
Key Lime Mousse Cheesecake
Apple Caramel Cheesecake
Cherry Crumb Cheesecake
Peaches & Cream Cheesecake (chunks of peaches hidden within)

CELEBRATION CHEEECAKES:
Cherry Heart Cheesecake
Creme de Menthe Cheesecake (very clean and refreshing flavor)
Easter Egg
Banana Fudge Cheesecake
Stars and Stripes
Tiramisu Cheesecake (an excellent compromise for regular Tiramisu)
White Chocolate & Cranberry Holiday Cake
Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake
Christmas Tree
Black Forest Cheesecake

WE LOVE CHEESECAKE (brace yourselves):
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Brownie Swirl (brownie crust; what a great idea!)
Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake (a heavenly cloud of airy chocolate!)
Chocolate Crunch Cheesecake
Chocolate, Caramel, & Walnut Cheesecake
Candy Bar Explosion
Heath bar Cheesecake
Rocky Road Cheesecake (ice cream's cousin)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

LITTLE FELLA'S (this is a wonderful chapter on how to create mini-cheesecakes to help with appetite temptations, party size needs, etc):
Little Fella's (plain version)
Little Fella's Chocolate Swirls
Little Fella's Raspberry Swirls
Little Fella's Strawberry Swirls
Cappuccino Little Fella's
Peaches & Cream Little Fella's
Key Lime Little Fella's
Carrot Cake Little Fella's

SKYSCRAPER CHEESECAKES (these are cakes WITHIN cakes!):
Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
German Chocolate Cheesecake
Lemon Coconut Cheesecake (get this: cheesecake, spongecake, lemon-filling, and flaked coconut; mercy!)
Devil's Food Cheesecake

Am I tripping over myself to describe this cookbook? You bet! And I really feel that you will too once you make just one of these yummy, creamy, heavenly decadent temptations.

I purchased this book a few weeks ago and just couldn't wait to give it a try. Yesterday, a Heath Bar Cheesecake was my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. I watched people take that first bite and just close their eyes or exclaim..O my gawd!!! It was that good!!! Making the sponge cake crust is a little labor intensive but it surely beats using store-bought crumbs and adding melted butter. The crust is very light and the addition of just two drops of lemon extract gives it a separate identity even in the presence of so much chocolate and candy.
The recipe was a little labor-intensive because I had to make equipment changes in midstream. My old Mixmaster has flat bowls and the beaters don't touch the bottom so creaming egg yolks in the large bowl was impossible. I grabbed my hand mixer and the problem was solved. I would recommend that you read through the recipes beforehand and do as much prep as you can beforehand. That will greatly streamline the process.
I can say without hesitation that this was the best cheesecake that I have ever made...or eaten for that matter! Based on this one experience, I would highly recommend this book as a welcome addition to your kitchen or as a gift to someone whom you really like. You or they will not be disappointed!

My family has ordered ready made cheesecakes from Junior's for the past four years and they are fantastic!!!! When this cookbook came out, I thought I'd try my hand at making them myself. I made the Cappuccino Cheesecake on page 44 of this book, granted it took a little time but it was well worth it, it tasted like it came straight from Junior's to our home!!!!! My family can now have this fantastic cheesecake at any time and if you are a cheesecake fanatic like we are, and love to bake from scratch, this is the book for you...

I've only owned this book for a few weeks, but already it's one
of my favorites (and I have hundreds). It tells you exactly
what you need to know about every aspect of making the best
cheesecake in your home kitchen. Be sure to read the front
of the book that details ingredients, pans, etc.. It's very
important to use only top quality ingredients (NO generic
cream cheese, please) and follow the recipes to the letter.
Also, get a good 9-inch springform pan that doesn't warp or
leak. I bought the KAISER LA FORME non-stick springform pan
from AMAZON and it works like a charm. The results are
nothing short of incredibly delicious! My husband and our
friends said it was the best cheesecake they have ever had.
I'm so happy that I bought this book and can hardly wait
to try all of the recipes in it. What could be better than
knowing that there's a cheesecake in the refrigerator?

I made the "original Cheesecake" from a recipe that I found online ... expecting that it would be only a fair copy of the real thing. For all I know it is, however it is an incredible cheesecake, far superior to any I have ever made. That interested me in looking for and buying this cheesecake cook book. It is a beautiful book, definitely one I would give as a gift, and one I will use many times over. There are not only many wonderful recipes, there are techniques for successful preparation, baking, cooling, cutting .. everything to make your cheesecake experience a professional one that will give you pride in your creation.

This book is filled with wonderful dessert recipes. I made the pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving... I added my own touches to it (Candied walnuts with homemade caramel sauce on top) and I got rave reviews, everyone was so shocked at how professional it tasted. The recipes are basically a repeat of the original cheesecake recipe with different ways to prepare it and make it different. I cant wait to try more recipes

I had been taking this book out of the library and after four trips and making four different cakes, I decided it was time to purchase. These are the most amazing cheesecakes. They are labor intensive but worth the effort for special celebrations. I highly recommend if you are into cheesecake!

Last year I ordered cheesecakes from Junior's for our company Christmas luncheon and had them shipped to California for the big day. They were a big hit so, this year, I bought the "Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook" thinking I would give a few recipes a try for the dinner and to try and save some money by making them instead of mail order them again. I know that it's not prudent for a restaurant to be giving out exact recipes for their desserts so I didn't really think these would be anything special. Boy, was I wrong! I made the plain vanilla cheesecake with the sponge crust, the brownie swirl cheesecake and the carrot cake cheesecake. I have made some pretty decent cheesecakes over the years but none of them even came close to the recipes from this book. The texture of the cheesecake turned out very creamy and dense, just like I like it. Yes, you do have to do alot of page turning for the crust recipes, fillings, etc. but what I ended up with were cakes that looked just like they came from a bakery. In fact, my co-workers thought I had bought them. They loved them and I was a very popular person the rest of the day! To those who don't like the fact the book doesn't have a picture of each cake, no problem. I received a Junior's catalog in the mail and cut out some of the pages with pictures and placed them in my book for reference. If you are looking for a wonderful recipe book about cheesecake, don't hesitate to get this book.

A friend once sent me a cheesecake from Junior's, and it was the best I or anyone else in my office had ever tasted. Phenomenal. (I later learned Bobby Flay chose Junior's for his cheesecake throwdown.) When I discovered the existence of this book, I ordered it immediately.

I had never baked a cheesecake before, but the first one I made from this book was very, very good (don't let the water bath scare you -- it's really easy). It wasn't, however, quite as smooth as I remembered the "real" one being, so I went back and checked all the book's myriad tips -- read the "Cheesecake 101" chapter thoroughly before you start -- and my second cake was much better, and my third and subsequent ones have been even better than the one Junior's shipped me (mmmm, fresh and homemade). The white chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake has quickly become the most requested cake in my repertoire, beating out Julia Child's Reine de Saba.

The book's photos and variety are lovely, its instructions and tips are terrific, its organization is good, and it even includes a great "If Your Cheesecake Is Not Perfect" troubleshooting table. It also gives instructions and tips for suggested extras, from melting chocolate in the microwave to making cinnamon crumb topping to cutting strawberry flowers. I wish there were photos of every single cake, instead of just most of them, but as the recipes themselves merit at least a dozen stars this book still gets a top rating.

I have some additional tips that aren't in the book.

* Removing the cheesecake from the springform bottom: The only bad advice the book gives is to suggest serving the cake on the pan bottom, with a crazy freeze-and-heat-and-pry process if you want to try removing it. I've got a far better way -- it sounds complicated, but it's actually really easy, just hard to describe clearly.
Before you start baking, remove the springform sides and wrap the pan's bottom in a square of foil a little larger than the pan bottom. The top surface should be totally covered by a smooth layer of foil (pressed down flat), and the corners and edges folded around to the pan's bottom side. Close the springform side around the foiled bottom, then butter the whole inside as usual, foil and all. When the cake is ready to come out of the pan, get your serving plate ready, then remove the pan's side ring as you normally would. Unfold the foil from underneath and use its corners to gently lift the cake off the pan bottom. Then tuck one foil corner underneath the cake, baring a bit of the cake bottom, and set that cake edge on the plate (positioned so the cake will be centered). Use the opposite foil corner to gently tip the cake up just enough so you can reach under it to grasp the tucked corner, and use that tucked corner to carefully pull the foil out from under the cake, setting the cake down as you go.

* Improving smoothness: Beat _each_ brick of cream cheese for 3 minutes, not just the first one, and scrape down the beater as well as the bowl as you go. If you have a KitchenAid, get one of these: New Metro Design Beater Blade for 5-Quart KitchenAid Bowl Lift Mixers, White -- I hemmed and hawed for a year or so before I got one, and should never have waited, because it totally eliminates bowl scraping and makes the creamiest cheesecakes ever.
Also, if you make the chocolate-based cheesecakes, consider adding a fourth brick of cream cheese, using a slightly larger pan (~10") to fit the extra batter. The chocolate reduces the cake's creaminess; when one time I absentmindedly added that extra cream cheese brick I found the creaminess improved, so I've done it that way ever since.

This book is worth it just for the recipe for a basic, NY-style cheesecake. I do not often buy cookbooks but this recipe is amazing. I have adapted my other cheesecake recipes to use the custard that Junior's uses and my friends are terribly jealous of my cheesecakes. It took a little experimenting to get the recipe to work perfectly for me (there is a trouble-shooting section in the book that helped with that) but it is well worth it.