Jul 23, 20234 min read

Estelle Getty Centennial Celebration

Celebrity Chef George Geary made all of the cheesecakes for "The Golden Girls". It was an honor to have him join me in celebrating the life, career and legacy of Estelle Getty.

Estelle Getty was born in New York and fell in love with acting after seeing a vaudeville show. She worked in theatre for a long time before her breakthrough role as Harvey Fierstein’s mother in "Torch Song Trilogy". Then she landed the role as "Sophia Petrillo", the feisty Sicilian mother on "The Golden Girls". The sitcom ran from 1985 to 1992 and Getty earned seven consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series. She took home the Emmy award in 1988. She was also an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and AIDS awareness. When her nephew was diagnosed with AIDS, she cared for him until his death. Decades after it was originally broadcast, "The Golden Girls" is still popular. There are "Golden Girls" drag shows, a convention, a themed cruise, products and even a pop up restaurant. The show has gone on to become one of the most beloved and iconic sitcoms in TV history.

The Recipe

This is directly from the blog of celebrity chef George Geary who made all of the cheesecakes for the show!

The Golden Girls Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350°F

Makes: One 10-inch Cheesecake From the Emmy award winning 1980’s Show!

I used to make seven per Friday night filming. Every year we would change up the top look. This is the original year look. A 10- inch cheesecake looked better on the tape for sizing.

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups graham cracker, finely crushed

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Cheesecake

2 lbs cream cheese softened (Philly)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Topping

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (variable) In a bowl mix the above and press into a cheesecake pan, and freeze.

Filling 2 lbs cream cheese, softened (Philly) 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 1. In mixing bowl fitted with paddle attachment; cream the cream cheese and sugar, until light and airy, about 6 minutes. With mixer running on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Take off the mixer and by hand, add lemon juice and vanilla, blend well, scraping the sides of the bowl. 2.

Pour batter into frozen cheesecake bottom, smoothing it out to touch sides. Bake it until the center of the oven and the top starts to pull away from sides and still look a bit loose in center, about 45-50 minutes. It will puff up a bit. Take it out of the oven (do not turn the oven off), and set it on a rack 10 minutes. (This will cause cake to sink slightly, which is normal).

Meanwhile make the topping. Topping 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour it into center of the cheesecake, after 10 minutes.

Place cheesecake back into oven for 5 minutes only; cool for 1 hour prior to serving. Top with fresh berries.

Special Guest

Geary is passionate about cooking and sharing that passion with others. As a teacher, he brings humor and a sense of fun to his numerous personal appearances around the world. George’s cooking classes are always sold out, and he is frequently asked to provide his culinary skills and talents as an instructor on luxury cruise lines.

A former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company, George is a Certified Culinary Professional and best-selling cookbook author. His wit and humor show through in his numerous cookbooks, making it fun and easy to understand culinary concepts. George guides home cooks on everything from cookies and pastries to cheesecakes, sauces, dressings, and rubs, to how to use a food processor.

George had been a featured speaker and lecturer aboard the Holland America Line’s ships for the past nine years as part of Food & Wine Magazine’s Chef’s at Sea. He has taught on every continent and sailed in all seven seas while visiting 119 countries.

George is the author of 16 cookbooks, including; 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes, 125 Best Biscuit Mix Recipes, 125 Food Processor Recipes, The Complete Baking Cookbook, The Cheesecake Bible, 500 Best Sauces, Salad Dressings, Marinades and More, 350 Best Salads and Dressings, 650 Food Processor Recipes, 150 Best Donut Recipes, The Cheesecake Bible Version 2, LA’s Legendary Restaurants, Fair Foods, Made in California Volume 1 & 2, and LAs Landmark Restaurants.

When not in a kitchen, George leads award-winning, mouth-watering culinary tours of major cities in America and Europe. This year will mark George’s 30th year in Morning Television. You can see him coast to coast on WGN-TV Chicago, NBC Tampa, and his home station FOX San Diego.

He has been featured on the pages of many food magazines, newspapers, blogs, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. When not traveling to teach, George lives in sunny California.

You can order George's books through his website!