Here it is, my beloved cheesecake recipe. It is smooth, it is creamy, it is rich, it is light, yet dense at the same time. I have been told by many that it is better than the cheesecake factory. The trick is not so much the ingredients as it is the technique.
Ingredients
FOR CRUST
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1.5 cups Vanilla Wafers
1/2 cup toasted, chopped almonds (pecans are nice too)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
FOR FILLING
2 pounds bar cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon good quality vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 325º. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse vanilla wafers and almonds until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine, don’t make it too moist or it will come out crunchy, it should still crumble when you pick it up, it shouldn’t be sticky. Press crumb mixture into bottom.
Set a full kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high until fluffy and smooth scraping down side of bowl, add vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, on slowest speed scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream and salt.
Wrap outside of spring form pan in foil, use the large size not the small or the water will leak into your cheesecake. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of spring form. Bake until just set in center, about 1 hour, the middle will still be jiggly but the top will be set. Leave in oven with the door closed to cool for about an hour then remove and let cool to room temp. Cover; chill overnight before serving.
Note: My favorite vanilla for this is Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. You can get it at Williams-Sonoma or on www.amazon.com although it oddly is cheaper at Williams-Sonoma
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