CHEESECAKE I Legendary cheesecake This is from a dessert-chef friend of a regular-chef friend, and apparently won some award. I've had cheesecakes that I think are more impressive (including one I can make), but I think I'm something of a cheesecake connoisseur. If I want to blow people's socks off, this is the one I cook. I think that every time I've served it to a new group, at least one person has said "That was the best cheesecake I've ever had." Ingredients (one cheesecake)
Crust: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 6 Tbsp melted butter 2 Tbsp white sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Cake filling: 1 1/2 lb cream cheese 3/4 cup sugar 3 eggs 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tsp grated lemon rind 2 tsp vanilla Topping: 2 cups sour cream 3 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla Glaze: 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup water 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 egg yolk, WELL BEATEN. 1 Tbsp butter Procedure Preheat oven to Combine crust ingredients. Press crust on bottom and sides of buttered 10-inch springform pan. Bake 5 minutes, and cool. Beat cheese until soft. Add sugar and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the lemon rind and the vanilla, and add to the mixture. Pour into the pre-baked crust, and bake 35 minutes. Combine topping ingredients, spread on top of cheesecake, and return to oven immediately. Bake 10-12 minutes and remove from oven. Combine dry glaze ingredients; add liquid glaze ingredients. Cook over low heat until thick. Add 1 Tbsp of butter. Cool, and spread this glaze on the cake before the glaze thickens too much. Notes
ome pointers: this is the traditional crust, but I often use a more floury-baked-pie-crust-like one. It's not too critical. The magic to getting the texture perfect is in how you beat the cheese. I use a kitchen aid, work slowly, scrape the bowl often, and ALWAYS USE ROOM TEMPERATURE EVERYTHING. Using cold cream cheese guarantees lumps. Don't beat too hard before putting in the sugar, but make sure it's even and fluffy before the eggs go in. Then again, don't overbeat. It takes practice. I've been known to make it with no sugar or vanilla in the topping, and I think it's more interesting. but the contrast between the layers may confuse those accustomed to restaurant cheesecakes.