This week finds us in Janesville, Wisconsin, located on the Rock River in the rolling hills, rich fields, and verdant woodlands of scenic south central Wisconsin. With its 2,015-acre park system, Janesville is known as "Wisconsin's Park Place" or "City of Parks." It's also the former home of a General Motors assembly plant, (the oldest GM plant in North America), that closed in 2008. Now, Janesville will also be known for the delicious Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake of Allrecipes cook and favorite barista, Dawn!
Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake
Fall has stolen in, the colors are vibrant and bright on the trees and there's nothing like a hot cup of coffee on the now-chilly
mornings. The only thing that could make it any better is a decadent slice of cheesecake inspired by this favorite coffee drink,
and that's exactly what Allrecipes cook Dawn has created! Smooth and creamy, this recipe was a finalist in the 2006 Allrecipes
Recipe Contest! With over 4,700 Recipe Box saves, this is one cheesecake you MUST try!
To prevent a cheesecakes surface from cracking, bake the cheesecake in a water bath to keep the oven moisture high and the heat
gentle. (A water bath is a larger pan containing water in which you place a smaller cheesecake baking pan.)
Don't overbake cheesecake. When perfectly done, there will still be a two to three-inch wobbly spot in the middle of the
cheesecake. As it cools, the texture will smooth out.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or simply leave the door of the oven closed, turn off the heat and let
the cheesecake cool for at least an hour before refrigerating. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
Perfectly baked cheesecake every time! Learn how! >>>
Now that you have created this tasty masterpiece the key is slicing it into bakery-perfect portions. Our photo tutorial shows
you just how. View Tutorial
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
A delicious, top-rated cheesecake that is hard to resist and will have them coming back again and again!
Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
Don't over bake cheesecake. When perfectly done, there will still be a two to three-inch wobbly spot in the middle of the cheesecake.
Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake
Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or simply leave the door of the oven closed, turn off the heat and let
the cheesecake cool for at least an hour before refrigerating. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
A busy mom with kids off at college, Dawn works at her local coffee shop known for their homemade baked goods. Her favorite
coffee drink, Caramel Macchiato, is the inspiration for this week's recipe. To fully understand how good this recipe is, it
was a Top 5 finalist in the Allrecipes Recipe Contest in 2006! Dawn grew up in Florida but now calls Janesville home.
"What I love about Janesville is its beautiful parks and how close it is to so many other great cities; Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. I love to cook, bake, and eat. I don't consider myself a good cook but a cook that has great recipes. I'm lucky because my family loves food so I can try out different recipes on them. I have a life time of recipes."
"Out of snow, you can't make cheesecake."
~ Jewish Proverb
Janesville, located in southern Wisconsin near the Illinois border, was settled in 1835, making it one of the earliest
communities in the state. From the moment I arrived, it was obvious why Janesville has earned the title of Wisconsin's Park
Place. With expansive parks and trails seemingly at every corner, Janesville is an ideal stop for a day, a weekend, or even
more.
After meeting Dawn, we toured the city, first stopping near the falls that run through the center of town. Janesville owes its existence to its location at a waterpower site in the midst of one of the richest agricultural regions in North America. The nine-foot fall of the Rock River through the city gave Janesville's founders the power to run the mills that established an industrial and commercial base for the community. Next stop was the General Motors Assembly Plant, which closed its doors in December of 2008 and had been a part of Janesville community for nearly 90 years. In its heyday about 8,000 people worked at the plant, but, in the final years, the number slipped to just a few thousand.
In her kitchen, a long, narrow affair in a sprawling rambler, we set about making my first cheesecake. I was surprised at the simplicity of the ingredients, but quickly got to learning the tips and tricks to making it well. I discovered that a "water bath" has nothing to do with cheesecake hygiene but rather it is a way to keep the oven moisture high and the heat gentle.
When all was said and done, we took the finished cheesecake back down to Mocha Moment to share it with the crowd that had wasted no time in heading there once they'd learned Dawn was bringing in "the goods." The cheesecake was delicious and from the reception it received, it will be on the menu again!
Mocha Moment
I guess you can say that this is where this week's recipe started!
Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Providing you with the best experience possible as you visit Janesville and making your choice to return often, an easy one.
The Janesville Gazette
Where you go for the news, sports, traffic and weather in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Dawn's Recipes (Blog)
Visit Dawn on her blog as she cooks and writes about everything in her recipe box!
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