The Perfect Cheesecake (see tips at end of recipe)

Baking a cheesecake is tricky business, and deviating from accepted standards can be risky. As such, this recipe, tailored for a moderate sweetness and thick, creamy texture, closely tracks New York cheesecake recipes found in “The Joy of Cooking” and “The 125 Best Cheesecakes.”

Ingredients:

40 ounces (5 (U.S.) packages) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature

1-½ cups white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest (optional)

5 eggs at room temperature

2 egg yolks at room temperature

½ cup heavy cream at room temperature

1 baked cheesecake crust (see below)

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring cream cheese, heavy cream and eggs to room temperature for at least three hours.

2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

3. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy, 30-60 seconds.

4. Scrape bowl and begin to gradually add in sugar, scraping sides of bowl and beating until smooth and fluffy.

6. Beat in flour and, and citrus zest.

7. One by one, add in eggs and egg yolks, beating just until blended after each addition.

8. Mix in vanilla and cream.

9. Pour batter into baked and cooled crust, running batter over back of spatula so that the mixture spreads evenly in the pan.

10. Tap pan against countertop a few times to settle air bubbles in the batter.

11. Place in pre-heated oven; make sure temperature really is 500 degrees Fahrenheit by using an oven thermometer.

12. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

13. Turn oven down to 200 degrees. Bake for 60 minutes longer.

14. Bake until edges are dry and center looks damp and slightly more jiggly than Jell-O.

15. Turn oven off, leave door ajar 1-4”, and let the cake cool in the oven for at least one hour.

16. Remove to a rack. Run a knife along the inside edges and let cake cool completely to room temperature.

17. Remove springform sides of pan.

18. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days.

19. Top with: fresh fruit, sour cream, fresh lemon peel, glazes.

Cheesecake Crust Options:

Shortbread Cookie Crust

5 ounces plain shortbread cookies (You do not need to add butter; there’s enough in the cookies already.) A top quality brand, such as Walkers is recommended.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put cookies in Ziploc bag; press out extra air and seal bag.

3. Using rolling pin, crush cookies to very fine crumbs.

4. Measure out 1-¼ cups of crumbs, and pour into 9-inch springform pan.

5. Using the flat bottom of a glass, press the mixture over the bottom of the pan, spreading crumbs evenly.

6. Bake crust until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 10-15 minutes.

7. Cool completely before adding filling.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 package of graham crackers from 14.4-ounce box

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put crackers in Ziploc bag; press out extra air and seal bag.

3. Using rolling pin, crush cookies to very fine crumbs.

4. Measure out 1-¼ cups of crumbs, and mix in small bowl with butter and sugar.

5. Pour into 9-inch springform pan.

6. Using the flat bottom of a glass, press the mixture over the bottom of the pan, spreading crumbs evenly.

7. Bake crust until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 10-15 minutes.

8. Cool completely before adding filling.

Optional Toppings

Berry topping

Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries (or berries of your choice)

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Place berries, sugar and apricot preserves in pan and cook over moderate heat until the mixture coats a spoon.

2. Stir in cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.

3. Place in refrigerator to serve over slice of cake when serving.

Alternative, easy berry topping:

Ingredients:

1, 10-ounce package of any frozen berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or mixed berries)

Sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Thaw frozen berries.

2. Puree berries in a food processor.

3. Taste for sweetness, add sugar to taste.

Tips for a perfect cheesecake:

• Making a perfect cheesecake takes patience. It’s not something you decide to do in one evening.
• For best results, make the cake a couple days in advance, since cheesecake’s texture and flavors deepen as it sits.
• It is extremely important that ingredients are at room temperature. This means setting out the eggs, cream and cream cheese at least three hours before you start.
• When buying your ingredients, go for the best quality possible.
• Do not use different brands of cream cheese. Buy one top quality brand, and make sure the expiration date on the bars are the same.
• While you let the eggs and cheese come to room temperature, take advantage the time to pre-bake the crust, a step that helps ensure it will be crisp. While professionals swear by crusts made from scratch, home cooks can get by with crumbled shortbread cookies or graham crackers. The crust should be completely cool before you add the batter.
• Your goal for the batter is simple: Smooth, thick and velvety. Lumps generally come from the cheese, so spend plenty of time beating it smooth.
• Add the sugar in gradually, not all at once. Sugar liquefies and makes the mix too runny.
• Add eggs gradually, one by one, beating the batter just until each egg has been incorporated.
• Use a slow mixer speed, and don’t over-mix. Too much air in the batter will make it crack as it cools.
• Make sure your oven is at the right temperature. Do not trust your oven dial—use an oven thermometer. Even 25-degrees off can make a big difference.
• Once you’ve poured the finished batter into the cooled crust, make sure your oven is at the right temperature. Trusting your oven dial is a gamble — even if it’s off just 25 degrees, it can make a big difference — so invest in an oven thermometer.
• You can’t use a toothpick to test if the cake is done, so it’s all about eyeballing it. When the edges are dry, but the center is just slightly more jiggly than Jell-o, it’s done.
• When the cake is down, turn the oven off, crack the door and wait for it to come to room temperature — nobody will notice the cracks if you’ve gotten the texture and flavor right.
• If using a berry topping, garnishing each serving with fresh berries adds an elegant touch.