James Beards Sour Cream Cheesecake Food

SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1.Crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl.
• 2.Press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.
• 3.Refrigerate the crust while making the filling.
• 4.Filling: Combine the cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.
• 5.Pour the filling into the spring-form pan over the graham cracker crumb crust.
• 6.Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
• 7.Cool 30 minutes before adding the sour cream topping.
• 8.Topping: Mix the sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour and spread on top of the slightly cooled cheesecake.
• 9.Bake for 10 more minutes at 350°F. Cool to room temperature and then place in refrigerator to chill before serving.

JAMES BEARD'S SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Press into bottom and sides of a lightly buttered 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Beat the cheese until soft and creamy. Add sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Blend in egg yolks one at a time.
• Add the sour cream, vanilla, flour, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir in one-third of whites into cheese mixture. Then fold the remaining whites in gently.
• Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for one hour. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for one more hour.
• Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top of the cake.
• Chill over night. Dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving, if desired.

ORIGINAL NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

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.

CREAM CHEESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Lightly brush the inside of a 9-inch pie or cake pan and the outside of a smaller pan with some of the melted butter.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the crumbs and remaining butter.
• Pat the mixture evenly into the pan and press it down with the bottom of the smaller pan.
• Bake until firm and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.
• Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla and salt.
• Fold in the sour cream by hand.
• Scrape the filling into the crust and smooth the top.
• Bake until the cake is barely set, about 45 minutes.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

BASIC PHILLY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
• Combine crumbs, sugar and melted margarine and press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and raise oven temperature to 450F degrees.
• To make filling, combine softened cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beating at medium speed until well mixed.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; blend in vanilla then pour into crust.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 450F, then reduce heat to 250F and for 25-30 minutes more, or until set.
• Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.
• Chill; top individual slices with desired topping, if any, just before serving.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

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.

JAMES BEARD'S CREAM BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients together.
• Fold in cream until it makes a soft dough that can be easily handled. (You may need to add up to a full cup of cream).
• Turn on to a floured board and knead for about one minute.
• I make these as drop biscuits: Take a large mound of dough (one heaping tablespoonful) and dip into melted butter.
• Arrange biscuits on a baking sheet spritzed with baking spray. Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes.