Plain, coated in sauce or blended with nuts – this soft and creamy dessert remains one of the most favored on any menu. Whether it’s the creaminess of the cream cheese, crumble of the crust or a combo of both, it definitely has won many hearts over.
With America taking over this delicacy and bringing the New York version to the front, this delicious dessert has interesting facts to share about its origin.
Cheesecakes Around the World
Each region of the world has added its own touch to the cheesecake.
- Italians use ricotta in the cream cheese mix.
- Germans use a very sour type of cheese that tastes very much like yogurt.
- The French use Neufchatel cheese (one of the oldest in France).
- In Belgium, the crust is made using a chocolate-based Dutch-Belgian biscuit.
- Matcha Green Tea is folded in with the cheese in Japan.
Cold vs. Hot
You can prepare cheesecake either by baking or refrigerating – they’re both as delicious and as creamy. The difference is the hot version requires incorporating eggs into the cream cheese mixture and baking the crust. The cold version requires you to freeze the crust for 10 minutes and then chill the cream cheese filling for about 3-4 hours.
Classic New Yorker Cheesecake Recipe
The Crust:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
12 Digestive biscuits/Graham crackers – crushed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
The Filling:
2-3 packs (Philadelphia or Kiri)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Method
- Preheat oven to 190 °C (moderate) and butter a round oven-baking pan while you make the crust.
- Mix biscuits, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Press mixture into pan and bake until it’s set (12 to 15 minutes); let it cool down.
- Beat cream cheese with sugar, until fluffy. Add lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition, and then add the sour cream at the end.
- Boil some water in a kettle and wrap the bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place pan in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of pan.
- Bake until just set in center, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes.
- Run a knife around edge; let cool completely.
- Cover; chill overnight before serving. Add topping before servings; like caramel, blueberry, raspberry or chocolate sauce.
