Best Marigold Cheesecake Recipes

MARIGOLD TAMALES

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put the chicken in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, bay leaf, oregano, marigolds and salt. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the chicken comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked, allow it to cool in the broth for up to 30 minutes. Remove from the broth and shred with two forks. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve discarding the vegetables and herbs and reserve. The chicken can be made a day ahead. Store the shredded chicken and broth separately, covered in the refrigerator.
• For the masa: Warm the reserved chicken broth. Beat the lard until light and fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the masa harina, baking powder and salt and continue beating until combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the masa harina. Slowly add the warm chicken broth 1 cup at a time until the masa is smooth and spreadable (you may not need all the broth). To test if the masa is ready to use, add a spoonful to a glass of water. If it floats it is ready. If it sinks, add additional lard 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until it floats.
• For assembly and serving: Remove the husks from the soaking water, drain and keep moist with a damp kitchen towel or damp paper towels. Moisten the chicken with some reserved chicken broth if needed.
• Using a spoon, spread a spoonful of masa onto center of a corn husk and spread about 1/2 inch thick with the back of the spoon leaving a 1/2-inch border along the side and a 2-inch border from the top. Put about 2 tablespoons shredded chicken in the center of the masa. Fold the sides until they overlap, fold the narrow end under using the husk to press the masa dough over the filling. Place the prepared tamale on a baking sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and repeat until all the tamales are assembled.
• Put the tamales upright in a tamale steamer, nestled together to prevent them from falling over. Fill the tamale steamer with about 2 inches of water-the water should not touch the tamales. Cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, adding more water if needed. To check the tamales, carefully remove 1 tamale from the steamer. Tamales are ready when they can easily be removed from the husk. If the tamale does not easily remove from the husk, cook for an additional 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the tamales to stand in the steamer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the tamales from the steamer and serve warm, garnished with diced onions and dried marigolds if using.

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
• Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
• Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
• Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil - you can't have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don't worry - the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.

AMY'S MARVELOUS MARBLED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Mix well and press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.
• In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy and smooth. Blend in the eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of cream cheese mixture and combine with melted chocolate.
• Spread plain batter into the crust. Drop the chocolate mixture randomly over the top. With the tip of a knife, Swirl the batter to create a marble effect.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight before serving.