143 – New York Style Cheesecake Recipe – July 4th Special!

Ingredients :

• Crust: 12 oz pack of graham crackers
• Crust: 8 tablespoons butter
• Crust: 3 tablespoons sugar
• Crust: 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Filling: 4 packs of cream cheese (8oz each)
• Filling: 4 large eggs
• Filling: 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Filling: 1 1/4 cup sugar
• Filling: 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Filling: 1 vanilla bean (optional)
• Filling: Zest of 2 oranges

Directions :

Making the Crust:
1- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
2- Melt the 8 tablespoons of butter.
3- Using a food processor, mix the graham crackers until you get a smooth powder.
4- In a large bowl, mix the graham crackers powder, melted butter, sugar, and salt.
5- Wrap the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with foil paper.
6- Press the crust into the pan and spread it evenly.
7- Bake the crust for 7 minutes.
8- Once the crust is done, remove from the oven, and let it cool down while preparing the cream cheese filling.

Making the Filling:
1- Note: all ingredients should be at room temperature.
2- Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar with the orange zest and the vanilla bean seeds at low speed.
3- Beat in the cream cheese.
4- Add the heavy cream and mix well.
5- Incorporate the eggs one at a time – beat at low speed with the cream cheese mixture.
6- Add the vanilla extract. Mix well.
7- Pour the cream cheese filling in the baking pan, over the crust. Spread evenly.

Baking the cheesecake:
1- Place a shallow baking pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
2- Boil water.
3- After 10 minutes (preheating time), place the cheesecake pan in the shallow pan, and pour boiling water around it. The water should come to half the height of the cheesecake pan.
4- Bake for 50 minutes.
5- After 50 minutes, the edges of the cheesecake will be done and the center will still be jiggly. Turn off the oven, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour.

Cooking the Cheesecake:
1- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on the counter. Let it cool down completely – uncovered.
2- Cover the cheesecake with foil paper and place in the fridge for 5-6 hours or ovenight.
3- Remove from the fridge, open the springorm pan and place the cheesecake (resting on the bottom of the pan) on a plate.
4- Serve with fruit!
Note: You can freeze the cheesecake for up to 2 months! Just freeze the cheesecake uncovered for few hours, then remove it from the freezer, wrap it in foil paper, then plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.