Japanese Cheesecake....FAIL

I googled this recipe -- unfortunately it's not been validated, so i thought i'd test it in my kitchen. I put the springform pan on my x'mas list for this very purpose. So here goes the recipe.

• 7 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar (caster sugar aka baker’s sugar) This should be next to the rest of the sugars in a well stocked super market
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (don’t use flour!!)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9-inch cake tin with cooking oil spray.
3. Beat cream cheese with milk to soften.
4. Add half of the sugar, all the egg yolks, all the cornstarch and all the lemon juice to the beaten cream cheese.
5. Beat until smooth.
6. Beat egg whites separately in a medium sized bowl until foamy. Do NOT let any grease get in the eggs whites or you‘re screwed and by screwed I mean your egg whites will fail to get fluffy and peak!
7. Gradually add the remaining sugar and all of the cream of tartar to the egg whites, beating on high speed until soft peaks form, about 8-10 minutes. This may seem excessive but you must get those peaks!
8. Gradually fold beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently. DO NOT BEAT them into the mixture.
9. Pour into cake pan and smooth the surface.
10. Place cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place in lower rack of oven.
11. Pour enough of the boiling water into the roasting pan to come half way up the side of the cake pan.
12. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle of the center comes out clean.
13. If the surface becomes too dark while baking cover with a piece of tin foil, but be careful not to open the oven door until it has been in the oven for at least 20 minutes.
14. If you can, let the cheese cake (which is a soufflé in disguise) gradually cool for one hour in the oven with the oven turned off.
15. If you like, you can treat the cheesecake like its Western counterparts and spread some fruit filling on top of it. (I don‘t recommend lychee as it overwhelms the cheesecake).

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so here is an update on the try-out. notice there are no pictures with this post --- the reason being the new pan i received for x'mas leaked on the bottom despite my every careful effort. Ian was so good to eat the non-soaked part and declared it "the best japanese cheesecake" he's ever had. I have a good husband, but a very very bad japanese cheesecake.

This is definitely a fail.

Once I've worked out the courage to start again, I'll let you know.

Knowing that this was a technically and equipment issue, the recipe still remains uncontended/unvalidated. however you wanna look at it.... so there is still a glimmer of hope.

Mrs. Fields Cinnamon Sugar Cookie

Best thing for x'mas shopping is a good 1/2 dozen of mrs. fields cookies. When I got to MRs. Fields this year, there were only 2 left! So i decided to look up a recipe and make my own!

They turned out marvelously and actually they were really fun to make, and lasted forever, this recipe turned out about 60 bite-sized cookies.