Monday, July 4, 2011

Star-Spangled Cheesecake (New York Cheesecake with Glazed Fruit Topping)

Some friends came over for the 4th and my mom asked me to make a dessert. I wanted to do something with fruit that was in season so I thought of a tart because the fruit on top is so beautiful. Then I realized I didn't have a tart pan so I decided to do a cheesecake with a tart topping. I've made a lot of cheesecakes, but never a New York Cheesecake. I've pieced together and added to a lot of basic recipes to come up with this.

It was delicious. I'll be using the cheesecake batter recipe for all of my cheesecakes from now on. The cheesecake was perfectly creamy and dense, sweet but not too sweet. The glaze was just sweet enough with just enough tartness to please any palate. It was, bar none, the best cheesecake I've ever made.


I used a 9-inch springform pan.

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham crackers
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter

Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor and process until fine. Add melted butter and pulse until combined. Press into springform pan. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Allow to cool before adding filling.

Cheesecake
3-8oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs

Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add sour cream and whipping cream and mix. Add flour and vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix. With hand mixer on low add eggs one at a time. Do not over mix because it will add too much air to the batter. Tap the bowl on the counter to bring bubbles to the top, run a spatula or spoon through to pop bubbles. Repeat tabbing and gently stirring until very few or no bubbles are appearing at the top. Pour into crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour, then 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Cheesecake should jiggle slightly in the center and be puffed on the edges. If not puffed and too jiggly continue baking at 200 until it is. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven for about 2 hours. Do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes of baking and do not remove the cheesecake until oven and cheesecake are cool. You don't want the temperature of the cheesecake to drop too fast or it will crack.

Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours before topping with fruit.

Topping
Fruit of your choice in design of your choice

Glaze
1/2 cup lemon and/ or lime juices
1/2 cup 7up
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

Combine liquids. Bring sugar to a boil with half of the liquid. Dissolve cornstarch in the other half of liquid and add to the sugar mixture. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens and clears. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cool before brushing over the top of fruit.

Chill to allow the entire dessert to become cool.

Slice, wiping the knife clean between cuts. Enjoy!

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