Small New York Style Cheesecake

Classic New York style cheesecake may not be the most original or trendy of recipe ideas. However, I really like having a top notch version of this classic dish in my arsenal.  Not to mention, you never know when it'll come in handy to have a simple yet incredible dessert recipe to rely on.

I find baking a cheesecake to be relatively straight forward and easy work yet the result is such a beautifully creamy, tangy and elegant dessert.  I usually use a 9 inch spring form pan (which tends to be the standard size for most cheesecake recipes I've come across) but find that to be a little big. Since it's such a rich and decadent dish, most people can only eat a small piece usually leaving a lot of leftovers.  Therefore, I decided to invest in a smaller sized spring form pan and come up with a recipe to fit into it.

I've chosen to make my version with a graham cracker crust that goes all the way up the sides of the pan. If you were to ask a New Yorker, they'd most definitely tell you that graham cracker crust is inauthentic.  However, I crave the bit of crunch and buttery flavour it adds and find a cheesecake without a crust to be slightly cloying and overly rich for my liking.

Here's the recipe:

Preparation:
-Grease a 7.75 inch spring form pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper and smear more butter over top of the parchment.
-Wrap aluminum foil around the outside of the spring form pan (this will protect the pan from water leaking while baking in the water bath later).  You may need to use a few layers of foil to ensure that you have a fully water proof seal.
-Make sure to have an oven proof roasting dish or pot big enough to fit the spring form pan into with plenty of free space surrounding it for the bain marie (water bath) later.
-Put a kettle of water on to boil while making the cheesecake so that it's ready to go when needed for the water bath.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup of toasted almond slivers crushed in a mortar and pestle
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted

Add the almond slivers to a large skillet and toast on medium heat.  Then transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the nuts to a coarse textured crumble.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, kosher salt and almonds.  Then add the melted butter to the mixture and combine.  Tumble the graham cracker mixture into the prepared spring form pan and flatten it on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Then bake in 350 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or slightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.

Filling:
2 bricks of cream cheese at room temperature
3/4's cup of white sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
zest of half a lemon
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sour cream at room temperature
1 tablespoon of Birds Custard Powder (available in most Canadian grocery stores of online)

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer).  Mix on low to medium speed for a minute or two to break up the cream cheese before adding sugar.  Once the cream cheese is smooth, add the sugar and continue to mix until incorporated.  Add the eggs one at a time, still mixing on low to medium speed until incorporated.  Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, custard powder and then finally the sour cream mixing until combined and smooth.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of bowl (to incorporate any bits the mixer may have missed) making sure most lumps are gone. Pour the filling into the prepared spring form pan and then place in the oven proof roasting dish, or pot (whatever you've chosen to use).  Bring the whole thing over to your oven and place on the open oven door.  Carefully, pour water (from the recently boiled kettle mentioned in the preparation section) into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway up the aluminum foil wrapped pan.

Bake in a 350 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the centre of the cheesecake is slightly wobbly. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for another 15 to 20 minutes - by which time the centre of the cheesecake should be solid.  The reason I recommend leaving it in the oven, is because cheesecake tends to crack if there are any sudden temperature changes.  Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and gently remove the spring form pan from the aluminum foil and let sit out until room temperature.  Remove the outer part of the spring form pan and put the the room temperature cheesecake in the fridge to chill overnight or at least 4 hours.

The enjoy...

To make a classic berry compote to go with this cheesecake:

Add 1 cup of blueberries and 1/2 cup of raspberries to a small saucepan.  Then add 1/2 cup of white granulate sugar, a bit of lemon zest and a 2 tablespoons of water.  Bring to a simmer and let bubble away until thick and glossy.  Pour the compote into a heat proof container or bowl and chill in the fridge until cold.  Serve on top or alongside the cheesecake.