A rich, dense, yet not too heavy, New York Cheesecake recipe adapted from Chef Anna Olson's book Back to Baking. Includes a recipe for homemade graham crackers.
Ingredients
For the homemade graham crackers (optional):
1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon (185g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (88g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
3½ tablespoons (50g) unsalted butter, chopped and frozen
⅙ cup (57g) honey
2½ tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the crust:
1½ cups (375ml) graham cracker crumbs (homemade or prepared)
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup (60ml) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
4 packages (1kg) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1¼ cups (250g) sugar
½ cup (115g) sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
Method
Prepare the graham crackers:
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. Alternately, if you don’t have a food processor or electric mixer, you can cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender. Just make sure they’re very well incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4cm by 4cm squares. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll. Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form three dotted rows (9 dots). If just using for the cake, don't bother making the holes. Bake for 15 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Be careful to not over bake. You will need to crush them in a food processor or by putting them into a bag and hitting them with a rolling pin to create crumbs for the cheesecake. You will have extra crackers.
For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and place it on a baking tray. Stir the graham crackers and sugar together, then pour in the melted butter and stir until the graham crackers are coated (the mixture will still be crumbly). Press the crumbs into the prepared pan, coming an extra inch up the sides (using a ramekin or sturdy glass will help you get the crumbs evenly into the corners). Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then cool while preparing the filling.
Prepare the filling:
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. t is very important that you always use the lowest speed possible while beating for this recipe. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and cornstarch until fluffy. While beating, slowly add the sugar, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla, again scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating and scraping the bowl well after each addition. Pour the filling into the cooled crust (the filling will come up higher than the crust). Bake for 55 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 10 minutes, cracking the oven door open slightly (you can use a wooden spoon to hold the door open by lodging it between the door and the oven). Remove the cake from the oven. After the cake cools for 30 minutes, run a knife around the outside edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Do not remove the springform ring yet. Cool the cheesecake completely to room temperature and then chill it for a minimum of six hours. To serve, remove the springform ring from the pan and slice using a hot, dry knife.
Recipe by IronWhisk at http://www.ironwhisk.com/2012/10/new-york-cheesecake/