New York City's delis are famous for their cheesecake, and this recipe takes the cake. Cheesecake is easier to make than you might think.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (375 mL)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (50 mL)
- .
- Filling:
- 5 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar (300 mL)
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (45 mL)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (7 mL)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest (7 mL)
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (5 mL)
- 1/4 cup whipping (35%) cream (50 mL)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F./260 degrees C. Prepare pan: 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.Crust:
In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling:
In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Mix in flour, lemon and orange zest. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla and cream. Pour batter over frozen crust. Bake for only 10 minutes at 500 degrees F. (260 degrees C.), reduce heat to 200 degrees F. (100 degrees C.). Bake for an additional 60 minutes. The top should be puffy like a souffle with a light golden color. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
Tips:
Save leftover egg whites or egg yolks by freezing them for up to 6 months. Freeze them in an ice-cube tray. When frozen, pop them in plastic freezer bags.
Variation:
You can replace the lemon and orange zest with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of rum extract for a different taste.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Recipe Source: 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary (Robert Rose)
Reprinted with permission.
