I apologize right up front for the lack of step-by-step photos this week.  As a matter of fact there won’t really be much of a write up this week as well.  It has just been too busy and the weather here so strange that I completely forgot to photograph as I was baking.  I actually had several projects going on in the kitchen and while I don’t usually find that to be a problem, there were just too many other things going on that needed my attention so no pictures.  I wasn’t really sure I was going to get this finished this week.  I made so many cookies and cakes and desserts for friends and parties that I had my doubts about getting around to this but I managed to get it in.  We have been having alot of rain in San Diego this week.  We certainly need it as we have been in a drought for the past 5 years but it rained practically non-stop this entire week. Things were flood, roads closed, traffic lights weren’t working, businesses closed.  It was a mess.  I work about a mile and a half from home.  It usually takes me about 10 minutes to get home, depending on how many light I get. The average time for my commute this week was an hour and a half.  It was just a total calamity.  One night it took me 3 hours to go that mile and a half.  I sat at one traffic light for 18 signal changes and then still had to take a detour around a flooded zone. 

Alright, enough about all that, lets talk about this cake.  It was really very simple.  Get everything to room temperature, dump it in the ingredients, mix until smooth and bake.  It really was that easy.  As I have stated before, I generally don’t really care for sour cream in my cheesecake, I am more the dense cheesecake type but this was very smooth and silky with a light citrus taste that went perfectly with the cranberry topping.  And of course there were ladyfingers (biscuit a la cuillier).  Someone asked my why ladyfingers were called spoon cookies in french.  Well, it is really very simple, at one time they were formed on the baking sheet with the back of a spoon, so hence the name.  I have already sung the praises of Rose’s ladyfingers recipe.  Beat the egg yolks and sugar, sprinkle on the flour and set aside.  Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff, fold into the egg yolks, pipe and bake.  Couldn’t get any simpler and do they fill your house with the most wonderful smell.  Terrific.

Well, once I finally had this cake finished, I brought it to a friends holiday buffet and it was a sensation.  Well received by all and I was quite proud when one guest, a professional baker, came up to me and told me how great he thought my cheesecake was.  It really was good.  Merry Christmas everyone.

Next Up:  Chocolate Bulls’ Eye Cake