New York cheesecake with a two-sided graham-walnut crust and stewed cherry topping
Brian Lagerstrom · ♥ 71.4K likes · 2.3M views · 11 min video
Read about cream cheese in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 375 g graham crackers
- 110 g walnuts
- 40 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 30 g all purpose flour
Break the graham crackers, walnuts, sugar, salt and flour down in a food processor to a sandy texture.
- 170 g melted butter
Drizzle in the melted butter with the processor running, then scrape, stir and pulse once more. Squeeze a handful to check it compresses; add more butter if it crumbles.
Adding melted butter and the squeeze test
- butter or pan spray
Line the base of a nine inch springform with a round of parchment, butter or pan spray the inside, and add about 60 percent of the crumbs.
Press a straight-sided glass down to the parchment and work the crumbs up the side into a tall even ring, compressing the top edge with a thumb.
Pressing a two-sided crust
Add the remaining 40 percent of the crumbs, spread from edge to edge to just above half an inch and press flat, reinforcing the sides.
- 900 g room temperature cream cheese
- 225 g goats cheese
- 240 g sugar
- 5 g salt
- 30 g cornstarch
Paddle the room temperature cream cheese, goats cheese, sugar, salt and cornstarch on medium speed, scraping the bowl after 30 seconds, then about one more minute.
- 125 g sour cream
- 1 whole lemon
- 5 g vanilla extract
Add the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix about another minute.
Sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla
- 5 whole large eggs
- 2 whole egg yolks
Scrape the paddle and bowl, then drizzle in the eggs and yolks one at a time on medium, letting each incorporate. Mix no longer than needed once the whites are in.
Eggs in without whipping in air
Pour the custard into the cooled crust, filling almost to the top.
Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside with the door closed for another 45 minutes.
Why no water bath
- 350 g frozen dark cherries
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate tented with foil at least 10 hours, preferably 24.
- salt
- 150 g sugar
- 1 whole lemon
Combine the frozen cherries, salt, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a 10-inch non-stick pan over high heat.
Boil hard five to six minutes until the sugar turns to syrup and bubbles large; temperature between 223 and 226F.
Cool the cherry sauce, then refrigerate at least two hours.
Hot sugar safety and chilling the sauce
Release the springform, run a cake spatula round the outside and lift the ring off.
Unmolding the set cheesecake
Cut with a heavy chef's knife dipped in warm water, rinsing the blade between slices, and serve each slice topped with the cherries.