Expert: Elyse Grau - 12/25/2009

Question
QUESTION: hi,

thank you for your willingness to help me solve an enigma i have encountered.

i make a strawberry cheesecake with strawberries on top, and i then put what used to be a delicous glaze on top. the last few times, however, the glaze will not set up, and thus it is too liquid to put on top

12 oz jar seedless raspberry jam
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
1/2 c. triple sec
1 T. lemon juice

place jam in saucepan over low heat. combine cornstarch with cold water in measuring cup to make 1/4 c. liquid. stir until lump free. mix with jam. add triple sec and lemon juice while stirring constantly over low heat until mixture is clear and thickened. cool in refrigerator about 15 minutes stirring frequently.

any ideas as to what i am doing wrong?  thank you so much...i am making this for a family of 8, who do not have enough money for the holidays, and they love cheese cake.

ANSWER: Johnny:
Are you letting the mixture get thick enough before you remove from the heat? Don't let it boil, as that can break the gel. You can test it by putting a spoon in the freezer to get cold before you start mixing, and then when you think it is ready, put some in the cold spoon. It should set up right away. If it is still runny then cook longer.

Elyse

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QUESTION: thank you elyse for your kind and informed response. if i may though, i would like to clarify...i do not believe i have ever let it boil, as it says to do it over low heat. also, when you say break the gel, what do you mean? do you mean that when it is cooking over the low hear, it will become a gel??

i believe i have cooked it a long time over the low heat to no avail. [the last time i made this was last year, so i am trying to remember, but what i unfortunately do remember, is that i could not get it to set up, no matter how long i cooked it.

any other thoughts about what could be done, since i think i am already doing what you so kindly suggested???

does this sound like a viable recipe?

thank you so much for being so generous and kind as to take the time to read this and help. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate it.

ANSWER: It's possible you're not getting it warm enough, but more likely that you are actually cooking it too long. It's not going to "set up" while warm, but should get noticeably thicker. You should also see it become less cloudy, though because of the jam this may be hard to notice.
Stir it gently while it's heating, and do try the cold spoon test, starting perhaps just 5 minutes in. This way you can make note of both the time it takes and what it looks like in the pan. The gel will do most of the thickening as it cools. (You can put multiple spoons in the freezer; in case you need to test more than once, you will have another cold one at the ready)

Elyse

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QUESTION: merry chrisemas elyse

i am going to try this now...wish me luck

what i wanted to know is when you are refering to the gel in your answer, do you mean the glaze itself?

also, i have made a batch and left it in the refrigerator all night long and it still did not set up. any other thoughts?? thank you so much!!!  

Answer
Johnny:
Yes, the glaze is a gel - that is a thick liquid, basically. The batch in the refrigerator is an earlier one? Or since  the last response. Because if it was over-cooked as I mentioned, then refrigerating it won't help. It also occurs to me that this recipe may not become as thick or solid as you expect,since it is supposed to be cooled before spreading on the cake. If it went back to jelly consistency, it might be too thick to easily spread on a delicate cheesecake. Most glazes are poured over a dessert, not spread like frosting. So it might be turning out as it is supposed to. Another thing you can do if you want it thicker is to simply use more cornstarch. How much more would depend on how thick you want it. In fact, depending on the jam you are using, you could probably just as easily simply melt the jam and add a little liquor if you like the taste, then just pour that over the cake.

Elyse