The Perfect Cheesecake Food

PERFECT CHEESECAKE EVERYTIME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the crushed graham crackers, the 1 teaspoon sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. Stir in the butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; allow crust to cool.
• Beat the cream cheese with the eggs on medium-low with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Fold in the sour cream just until blended. Do not overmix; ovemixing causes the cheesecake to crack. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn oven off. When the cheesecake has reached room temperature, chill in refrigerator for 8 hours before serving.

THE BEST NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl until evenly moistened.
• Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Cool completely on a rack. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.
• For the filling: Add the cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cream, beating until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and juice, vanilla and salt and beat just until combined, taking care not to over whip. Pour into the crust.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come about halfway up the side of the foil-wrapped springform pan.
• Bake until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned around the edges, but the center still jiggles slightly, about 2 hours.
• Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water and wipe dry before slicing each piece.

PERFECT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• *Crust*.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix until an even crumbly texture.
• Press crust into a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, pressing up the sides a bit.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• *Filling*.
• Cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Gradually add sugar, again scraping sides often. Add in flour, scraped seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt and mix well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and again, scraping sides.
• Scrape filling into springform pan. Place into a baking pan with edges, and fill pan with boiling water 1 inch up the sides.
• Bake cheesecake for 90 minutes with the oven door cracked open slightly. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. It is essential to chill overnight.
• Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing springform ring. Cheesecakes cut best with a hot, dry knife.
• *Sugared Lemon Zest*.
• Slice off the top and tail of the lemons and score the lemons lengthwise about five times. Pull the scored peel off the lemons, as if peeling an orange. Julienne the peel segments (slice thinly lengthwise).
• Blanch the peel in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and drain (this cooks out the bitterness). Return zest to pot with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup boiling water and simmer until zest appears translucent, about 15 minutes.
• Drain well (you can reserve the syrup to poach fruits or brush onto a lemon loaf). Spread zest onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry for a few hours (4-6). Toss zest with remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat. Zest will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• *Sugared Pansies*.
• Whisk egg white until foamy, but not fully whipped.
• Brush or dip flowers with egg white delicately and dip into sugar. Set on a baking pan to dry. Flowers should last a few days in an airtight container.
• *To Assemble*.
• Arrange sugared zest around outside edge of cheesecake and dot top with sugared pansies.