CheesecakeAdapted from Michael Chu’s recipe on cookingforengineers.com, this rich New York-style cheesecake gives any other dessert some serious competition.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. graham crackers
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 2-1/2 lbs. (40 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1-3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
  2. Process graham crackers into crumbs using food processor. Add brown sugar and melted butter; process until well blended. Pour mixture into a 10-inch springform pan and use a flat-bottomed glass to press down into an even crust layer.
  3. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack.
  4. Increase oven temperature to 500° F.
  5. Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth using a standing mixer. Beat in heavy cream, vanilla, flour, and salt. Add eggs and mix slowly until mixture is uniform.
  6. For Flavored Cheesecake: Beat extra ingredients into batter now. Try lime (add the juice and zest of at least 5 fresh limes) or raspberry (add raspberries and half a bag of white chocolate chips).
    For Layered Cheesecake: Reserve half of mixture in a separate bowl. Add extra ingredients (e.g., pumpkin, chocolate, caramel) to batter remaining in the standing mixer. When filling the springform pan, pour the reserved (plain) batter first and then pour the flavored batter on top.
  7. Butter around the inside edge of the springform pan.
  8. Pour batter into the springform pan on top of the crust. Place springform pan on a jelly roll pan and bake for 12 minutes at 500° F. Reduce oven temperature to 200° F (do not open oven door!) and bake for 100 minutes (1:40) or until the center of the cake registers 150° F.
  9. Remove cake to cooling rack. Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to free the cake from the sides. Cover with a large bowl and let cool for 2 hours.
  10. Wrap cake tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator for at least 6 hours. At least 6 hours!
  11. When ready to serve, preslice cake into 16 pieces using dental floss.