New York Cheesecake Recipe

For years I thought the only way to get good New York style cheesecake was to buy it at a good bakery. I tried quite a few recipes, but nothing quite came out to taste right. That is until I came across this recipe. It comes out perfect every single time.

New York Cheesecake

Pastry

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange peel

Filling

• 2 1/2 lb. cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange peel

To prepare the pastry, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then cut in the butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla until it forms a soft dough. Chill the dough, wrapped in wax paper, in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  After the hour is up, preheat the oven to 400F. Roll the pastry on a floured board until it is a 1/8 inch thick, 9 inch circle. Save the trimmings and put in the refrigerator. Put the crust in the bottom of a greased 9 inch spring form pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese and dry ingredients with an electric mixer.  Add one egg, and yolks, at a time into the cream cheese mixture, beating well between eggs. Adjust the oven temperature to 550F. Take out the dough trimmings and roll them out, cutting out a 2 inch wide that you can place in the greased sides of the pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200F and bake for 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and allow to completely cool, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.