American cheescake

On Sun 30 Mar 2008 02:13:47p, Emimec told us...

New York Style Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups (190 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons (40 grams) all purpose flour

5 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup sour cream (not low fat or fat free)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.

For Crust:

In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.54 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling:

In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.

Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.

Tips: Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks. To help prevent this from happening do not overbeat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar.

Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake. Your cheesecake is done when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet.

Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.

Depending on which area of New York, here is the lighter version,

Cheesecake

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- For the crust 1-½ cups ground almonds ¼ cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature ¼ cup sugar For the cake 1 lb. Cream cheese -- softened

1 Lb. Ricotta cheese 2 cups sour cream 1-½ cups sugar 4 eggs, large at room temperature ¼ cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour 3 tbsp. cornstarch 3 tbsp. Lemon juice Zest of one lemon 1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract. 1 Teaspoon of almond extract

Spray a 9" spring form pan with cooking spray, and then line bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Mix the ground almonds, sugar, and ¼ cup of melted and cooled butter. Spread this mixture on the bottom of the spring form pan. Bake this in a 350-degree oven for about 10 to15 minuets, until slightly browned.

Cream the Ricotta, sugar, and cream cheese in a large bowl Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add butter, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla & almond extracts, and beat well. Now fold or whip in the sour cream. Pour this over the cooled crust that you made earlier. Set oven to 325 degrees, bake cake, in center of oven for one hour. The cake center will still be soft. Turn of the oven and leave the cake in the oven for about 2 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.

After the two hours in the oven, remove to the counter and allow to cool to room temperature. Then chill for 2 more hours, loosely covered. Remove from spring form pan to serving plate; remove the parchment paper from the sides. Keep refrigerated.

Many thanks all

I fell in love with the cheesecakes while on a tourist trip, so mainly the Manhattan area. Seemed to be the crust or base, like digestive biscuit, then a thick creamy vanilla tasting topping. The UK has a nasty habit of putting strawberry stuff etc on top of this, rarely it tastes nice, unlike the sugar dusting the ones I tried in the USA.

Sainsbury's, a UK supermarket, do a "New York" style cheesecake, but not that good. Another UK supermarket, Tesco, did a "Slice" of New York cheesecake, and it was good, but typical of the UK, they stopped selling it.

Bob London UK

Then you probably want the first one posted. That will have a firmer, creamy texture, not a slightly crumbly one. I love 'em both, but understand preferences...