Bruleed Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Food

CRèME BRûLéE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add butter and stir until dry ingredients are equally hydrated. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray, and evenly press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan.
• Make Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy and satiny. Add sour cream and beat to incorporate. Scrape down sides of bowl, add sugar, and beat on low until just incorporated, then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once last egg is added, beat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add flour and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and add lemon juice and vanilla bean paste; mix for an additional minute.
• Pour Filling over Crust in prepared springform pan. Wrap bottom and sides of the outside of the pan with several layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place springform pan inside a large roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan with water so that it comes three-quarters of the way up the side of the pan. Carefully place roasting pan in oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off but do not open the oven, leaving the cheesecake to sit in the cooling oven for an additional 30 minutes. Gently lift springform pan out of roasting pan and remove aluminum foil from pan. Leaving the cheesecake in the springform pan, run an offset spatula or knife around the edge of the cake, being careful not to cut the cake. Allow cheesecake to cool on the counter for 45 minutes before refrigerating for 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove cheesecake from springform pan, sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly across surface of cake. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar on the surface by applying direct heat to the sugar until it takes on a light brown color, moving in small circles around the surface of the cake until it's evenly caramelized. Allow to sit for 1 minute before adding another tablespoon of sugar on top of the first layer and repeat the caramelizing process. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before slicing and serving.

VANILLA BEAN CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Heat the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla bean in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow in color and all of the sugar has dissolved. Temper about 1/2 a cup of the cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously to incorporate well. Add the remainder of the cream mixture to the bowl and whisk vigorously to incorporate. Strain the brulee base through a fine mesh sieve and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the custard into 6 (5-ounce) oval ramekins or gratin dishes, and place the dishes in a sheet pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come up half way on the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, turning the sheet pan around after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. To test for doneness, jiggle the pan slightly to see if the custard is set, if so, remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature before placing them in the refrigerator for 2 hours to completely cool. Once the brulee has cooled, evenly spread 1 tablespoon of sugar over each ramekin and using a blowtorch, caramelize the sugar to form a candy coating. Be sure to keep the blowtorch moving in a circular motion to prevent the sugar from burning. Serve once the sugar has cooled and is hard like candy.

CRèME BRûLéE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Reduce the oven temp: Once the crust has baked, reduce the oven to 300°F.
• Let it cool: Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let the cake cool in the water bath for about an hour, then remove it from the water bath and transfer it to a cooling rack on the counter for another hour. Finally, keep the cake in the springform pan, and let it cool, uncovered, overnight in the fridge.

BRûLéED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make brown butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk solids separate out and the butter turns deeply golden and fragrant like toasted nuts, 10 minutes. Refrigerate until solid, 15 minutes. You should have 4 ounces of brown butter. Meanwhile, pulse and grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor. Measure out ¾ cup (81 g) of crumbs and set aside.
• Graham Cracker Crust: Add the brown butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to soften, 30 seconds, then add the brown sugar and continue mixing on medium speed, 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg and vanilla to the batter and mix to combine almost all the way. Turn the mixer off; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to bring the batter together. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds until nearly homogeneous; turn mixer off. Add both flours, both salts, and graham cracker crumbs; mix on low speed until the dough just comes together but still looks shaggy, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer; use a plastic bench scraper to transfer the dough to a work surface. Bring the dough together into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled throughout, 1 hour or up to overnight. (Keeps for up to two days in the refrigerator.)
• Bring dough to room temperature, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 F. Trace the circumference of a 10-inch springform pan onto parchment paper: this will be the template for rolling the dough into a circle. Spray your work surface with nonstick spray and lay the prepared parchment paper on it; the spray will keep the parchment from slipping as you work. Knead dough several times and shape into a ball. Using your hands and the rolling pin, flatten the dough into a thick disk. Dust the parchment with flour, then place the dough on it; dust the dough with flour. Using short strokes of the rolling pin, flatten the disk to be 1 inch larger than the circle, all the way around. (If the dough cracks, pinch it back together.) Place the plate of the springform pan over the circle and use a knife to trim the edges so the crust is flush with the plate. (Save extra dough for another use, such as making cookies.) Remove the plate, cover the dough with another sheet of parchment paper, flip over; then peel off and set aside the top layer of parchment. Make sure there's no residual flour on top; if there is, gently brush it off. Place the dough on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Crust is ready when it is golden brown and feels like a cookie. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (Crust can be made 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, lightly covered.)
• Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300 F. Add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed and blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and continue mixing on medium speed until aerated, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the springform pan: Grease the inside with nonstick spray, then line the plate with a fitted parchment circle. Spray again. Wrap the outer sides and bottom of the pan with foil to insure there is no leakage. Set aside.Once the cream cheese mixture is fully aerated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to bring the mixture together. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and add the vanilla.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time to the cream cheese mixture. When just incorporated, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and salt; mix on low speed just to incorporate. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the cheesecake mixture through, using a rubber spatula to pass it into the bowl. Pour the strained mixture into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top; give the pan a few light taps on the countertop to remove air bubbles. Place the pan into a large roasting pan and then into the oven. Pour enough water into the roasting pan to go halfway to the level of the cheesecake filling. Bake 40-45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes. Cheesecake is done when it feels set when poked gently. Remove pan to a towel to dry the bottom. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• Assembly: Remove springform ring from frozen cheesecake. Stack crust on top of cheesecake, then invert onto a baking sheet so the springform plate is on top. Gently remove plate and peel off the parchment paper. Brûlée Topping (optional): Distribute a thin, even layer of superfine sugar on top of the cheesecake. Move a torch across the top until the sugar bubbles and caramelizes. Allow the cheesecake to rest until the sugar hardens. (You may serve it without the brûléed top, or add a berry garnish.)