Cheesecake Challenge

 

As mentioned in my last post, I made up a cheesecake to take back to Paragould for our Labor Day gathering. I've never attempted a cheesecake before, so I was going on a wing and a prayer, hoping it wouldn't turn out to be a disaster. Joey recommended Chef Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cheesecake recipe, so that's what I went with.  I made two glazes - strawberry and savory blueberry - to serve as optional toppings.

Cheesecakes aren't difficult so much as they're very time consuming.  Preparation involves lots of waiting around for the cake to do its thing.  I suppose one could cut corners here and there, but the end result wouldn't be nearly as creamy and rich. Keep in mind that the "cake" portion is essentially a custard, and is prone to cracking and uneven cooking if not prepared correctly.  Do yourself a favor-do everything from scratch, follow the recipe closely, and don't cut corners. Your patience, as a great chef once said, will be rewarded. 

Ingredients:

• Crust:
• 2 cups crushed graham crackers (30-40 squares)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• Filling:
• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened at room temp.
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Strawberry glaze:
• 1 pkg fresh strawberries, crushed
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• Lemon-Blueberry glaze
• 1 pkg fresh blueberries
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and get some water boiling on the stove. Grind the graham crackers in a blender or food processor until they're a fine dust. In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs with melted butter and cinnamon and mix with a fork until combined.

Empty into a prepared springform pan (don't even try this without one) and use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the crust and push the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Just rotate and press until the crust covers the bottom of the pan and goes about halfway up the side. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.

While the crust is firming up, place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat on low for a minute or until smooth. Mix in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add lemon zest, sour cream, and vanilla and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Remove the pan and crust from the fridge and pour the filling into the pan. The filling should come to or just above the crust on the sides.  Wrap the outside of your springform pan with an inner layer of plastic wrap and an outer layer of aluminum foil and place in the middle of a large roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan - the water level should come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes. The cake is done when the outsides are mostly set but the middle is still loose. Cool the cake in the oven by turning off the oven and leaving the door slightly cracked open. Cool your cake for 2 hours. Loosely cover with a paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture and cool cake in the fridge overnight.

Now, the glazes. For strawberry, bring water and sugar to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved, Add crushed strawberries and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add cornstarch until desired consistency is reached.  For the blueberry glaze, combine sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and blueberries in a saucepan and simmer until berries begin to break down. Add cornstarch to thicken if desired. Allow glazes to cool completely before serving. Glazes can be spread on top of cheesecake or served as an optional topping.

 

The delicious fruits of my labor