New York Cheesecake Bon Appetit Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon (if using) and process until you've got fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add melted butter. Using your hands, mix well until no dry spots remain (crumb mixture should not be sandy or dry, but hold small clumps when pressed together).
• Press crust evenly into the bottom and at least 1 1/2-inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the bottom is as even as possible. Bake on the middle rack until crust is set and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove pan from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on high until mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium and 1 at a time, add eggs and yolk, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg is added. With the mixer on low, add flour and beat just to blend, until no lumps remain.
• Pour filling into prepared crust (if filling goes above the crust, that is O.K.). Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are completely set and the 2-inch inner circle of the cheesecake wobbles just slightly, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Turn heat off and let cheesecake remain in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let sit on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. When cool, transfer to refrigerator until totally set, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the cheesecake:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make and bake the cake crust as directed and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
• 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if your mixer has one, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each.
• 3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
• 4. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, the top is light gold, and the center barely jiggles, about 1 1/4 hours. If the cake still feels soft around the edge, let it bake for 10 minutes more (the cooking time will be about the same for both the 8- and 9-inch cheesecakes). Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away-don't move it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold before serving, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• On serving day:
• 5. Release and remove the side of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, rinsing the knife with warm water between slices. Refrigerate any leftover cake, tightly covered, and enjoy within 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Wrap outside of 10-inch-diameter springform pan with heavy-duty foil. Combine all ingredients in processor. Blend using on/off turns just until crumbs are moist. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool. Maintain oven temperature.
• Make filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until will blended. Beat in flour. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in sour cream, milk and vanilla. Pour filling into crust.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake cheesecake until just set in center and top is slightly puffed and golden brown, about 1 hour. Turn off oven; keep door closed. Let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from roasting pan. Refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
• Make topping:
• Stir blueberry spread in large skillet over low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Add blueberries; toss to coat. Spoon blueberry mixture over top of cake, spreading evenly. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Run small sharp knife around sides of cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges.

Steps:

• Mix crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter and press into a 10" spring form pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 500º.
• Beat cream cheese with electric mixer in large bowl until very smooth. Blend in lemon juice and vanilla. Sift sugar, flour and salt together and gradually beat into cheese. Beat until creamy, smooth and light, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time. Blend in cream. Pour into crust.
• Bake 12 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200º. Continue baking until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. The original recipe said for 45 minutes but I find (having made this at least 30 times in two different ovens) that it takes about 90 minutes.
• Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Cool cake completely and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

Steps:

• To prepare 1 cup of Simple Berry Jam in advance, add the juice of 1 medium lemon or the juice of half an orange to a medium saucepan. It adds a nice citrusy flavor to the jam. Place a couple of small plates in the freezer. Wash, hull and halve 1 POUND OF FRESH STRAWBERRIES. Add to saucepan. Add 1 CUP OF SUGAR to the saucepan. Stir together over medium heat, boil for 20-25 minutes, until thickened. To check if the jam is set, remove one chilled plate from the freezer and spoon a small dab of the mixture onto it. Give the jam about 30 seconds, and push it with your finger. If it wrinkles, its set and done; if it moves about on the plate, it needs to be boiled a bit longer before you test it on the other plate. You'll also know the jam is done when it reaches 210*F/100*C on a candy thermometer. When the jam is set and done, remove it from the heat and stir in 1 TABLESPOON OF COLD SALTED BUTTER CUT INTO SMALL PIECES. Skim off any foam from the surface with a metal spoon, then pour the jam into clean heat-safe containers or jars. The jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. VARIATIONS: For Raspberry Jam: Decrease the amount of raspberries to 2 cups and add 1 tablespoon of strained fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon of finely grated orange zest to the berries when stirring them with the sugar. Do the same for Blackberry Jam, but simply increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.
• To make the CRUST: Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450*F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, nuts, vanilla and salt. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, using your hands or the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to compress the crust. Put the pan in the freezer.
• To make the FILLING and TOPPING: In a large bowl using a hand held mixer (I find this works better for the job, rather than a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest and orange zest on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters to make sure there's no lumpy cream cheese in sight. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla all at once, mixing until smooth and the eggs are well incorporated. Mix in the sour cream until just incorporated.
• Remove the crust from the freezer, put on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap the sides of the pan with aluminum foil. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and put the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the top is puffed.
• Lower the oven temperature to 225*F and bake until the cake is mostly firm but still slightly wobbly in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. (If the cheesecake is not done after 45 minutes, check it every 5 minutes or so until it is.) Once the cheesecake is done, remove it from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature in the pan. Cover and refrigerate it for 8 HOURS before topping.
• To make JAM TOPPING: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the jam with 1 teaspoon water until it is pourable. Let it cool to room temperature and pour over the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator until the jam topping is set before serving and topping with the fresh berries. Do not place the fresh berries on top longer than a day in advance of serving.

Steps:

• Make crumb crust as directed in separate recipe. Preheat oven to 550°F.
• Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and zests with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
• Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200°F and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour more.
• Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.