Cheesecake Toppings

By LoriCaputo

Ingredients

• TO APPLY DURING BAKING:
• Nut Topping:
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

TOPPINGS TO APPLY AFTER CHILLING:

Delicious Pineapple Topping

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
3 Tbs. cornstarch
4 to 5 Tbs of sugar
1/2 tsp lemon flavor or extract
2 to 3 drops yellow food color ( optional )

Place the pineapple with syrup, cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan.. Stir well and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in extract and color. Place contents in glass or pyrex bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Culinary Tip: Cut a few slits in the plastic with tip of a sharp knife. (This technique prevents a crust from forming on the mixture). Cool completely and use as a topping for cheesecake or cake.

Delicious Blueberry Topping

1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. butter

Combine all ingredients except butter and cook and stir until thick. Stir in butter and remove from heat and cool. This is so much better than canned fillings. Use over cheesecake, cake or desserts
Delicious Lemon Topping Sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine room temperature
1 tsp fresh grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a saucpean pan and cook and stir with a whisk over medium heat until the sauce becomes thick and just starts to bubble. Remove from heat, Cover and chill well. A nice pudding/custard type of sauce to top cheesecake, pound cake and angelfood cake.
Easy Glazed Berries or Fruit: Use whole berries or cut strawberries. If the fruit is too juicy, it will make the cheesecake soggy on top.
Sometimes I use a glaze to cover the berries that I place on top of a chilled cheesecake. Simply heat to liquefy about 1 1/2 cups strawberry jelly ( or part apricot preserves ) and strain and then spoon warm jelly over the berries. Chill again until the glaze firms up and holds the fruit in position with an attractive sheen. This kind of glaze may also be used over other tortes and desserts. The only negative aspect of using glazes is that after a few days they don't look so fresh and shiny
Raspberry Glaze:

1,14 oz. pkg. frozen red raspberries


1 cup red wine


1/3 cup sugar


1, 10 oz. jar red currant jelly

Combine berries, wine and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Crush thawed berries with back of spoon.
Strain raspberry juice through fine sieve; discard seeds. Return juice to saucepan. Simmer over medium heat about 25 minutes until reduced to 1/2 cup and very syrupy. Whisk in currant jelly until melted. Cool to room temperature.
Pour about 1/4 cup cooled glaze on chilled cheesecake. Spread lightly, leaving a 1/2" margin around edge. Randomly arrange 3 cups assorted fresh berries on top. Serve immediately. Extra sauce is great on ice cream!
Strawberry Crumb:
Enough thinly sliced pound cake to cover top of the cheesecake
24 Strawberries; washed, hulled, cut in half
2 cups Apricot glaze (purchase in gourmet shop)
2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
Cover chilled cheesecake with a layer of thinly sliced pound cake. Layer with strawberries, cut side down. Melt apricot glaze over low heat and spoon over strawberries. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs around the outside of the cakes. Chill cake again in refrigerator before cutting.
Easy Strawberry:

2 cups washed and hulled strawberries

Purée 1 1/2 cups strawberries in blender. Slice remaining strawberries.
Just before serving, slice the cheesecake and place on individual plates. Garnish each piece with sliced strawberries. Top with strawberry purée or, I just slice and sugar them and spoon them over cake or cheesecake.
Cranberry or Berry:

3/4 cup water


1 cup sugar


ground cinnamon, a dash


**2 cups fresh cranberries (or any berries), washed and picked over


1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon of cold water

Combine water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium, heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. When mixture comes to a boil, add half of cranberries and cornstarch mixture. Cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove and cool. (Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Makes about 2 cups sauce.

To serve, remove sides from springform pan and transfer cake to a serving platter. Use a slotted spoon to arrange cranberry topping on top of cake. Save any extra liquid from cranberries and drizzle over slices.
**A berry topping is the perfect foil to the richness of cheese cake. Make it from fresh berries (if you can't get raspberries, substitute whatever you can get hold of) when they are available. Out of season (or when time is short), you can cheat and use a good quality jam as the source of the fruit.
Fresh Raspberry Topping:

2 cups raspberries


1 cup sugar


1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the berries and sugar and a little water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix the corn starch out with water and add to the berries and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes or until it has thickened.
Praline Topping:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar -- packed


1/4 cup heavy cream


1 teaspoon butter -- or margarine


Pecan halves, toasted -- for garnish


To prepare topping, in a small saucepan, heat brown sugar, cream, and butter over med. heat, stirring until brown sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil; cook, without stirring, until syrupy and golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove caramel from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour topping over completely chilled cheesecake, tilting cake to spread evenly. Garnish, if desired, with pecan halves. Remove side of pan. Serve within 2 hrs. of topping.
Streusel:

1/3 cup all purpose flour


1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar


1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

For Topping: Preheat broiler. Combine flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool. Chill, preferably overnight. Sprinkle topping over chilled cheesecake. Broil 6 inches from heat until topping is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill before serving. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring cheesecake to room temperature before serving.)
Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate


Melt chocolate with cream over lowest heat ( or a double boiler ) and stir until smooth and thickened. This shiny chocolate glaze is then quickly poured and spread over the chilled cheesecake. It will quickly harden and remain glossy. Once spread on cake, leave it set and chill. Leftover ganache may be stored and covered in the refrigerator and can be reused by gently reheating the mixture again.