Compagnie Spéciale Cheesecake

So...there are not many foods I have a love/hate relationship with....but alas...there is cheesecake. For most, I do not have to relay the reason for my dessert idolatry, and perhaps for some, I do not have to express my frustration either.  It can be heavy, too rich, ummmm...a great contributor to thy thigh fat cells...  But about once a year (or two), I just have to make it either to satisfy my craving overload or for someone special.  

Cheesecake may be intimidating and definitely has some tricks to the trade.  Here are the main points:

• You must own a spring form pan either a 9" or 12".
• You must scrap down the mixing bowl after each addition of ingredients!  Yes, after each egg especially.
• You must bake it high (450-500 degrees) for a short period and then low and slow for the remaining hour plus. (Do not open the oven door to peak at it! It is still in there; the cc fairy did not steal it...yet.)
• You must let it go to room temperature from oven and then into fridge to chill. A drastic reduction in temp will make it crack on top. (More on crack later.)
• Lemon zest!!! Lemon zest?? Yes, Lemon ZEST!! Even if you are not making a lemon cheesecake. This helps to make it less heavy.
• Gosh, there are a lot of tricks to cheesecake.
• After you fill the spring form pan with the batter, lightly spray the outer rim with a canola oil spray or run some buttered fingers around the edge of the pan so the cheesecake will not stick and therefore, pull against the sides of the pan, thus cracking the top.
• You can bake it in a water bath, but honestly, that's just toooo much work!!! 

 Now to recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get out your cream cheese and eggs out to increase to room temperature. (See below for ingredients)

In a food processor combine 1 package of graham crackers ( around 14 squares) and 1/4 cup sugar. Pulse til a fine crumb texture then add 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and with the machine running, add 1 tablespoon of water.

Press into spring form pan about 1/4" at bottom and up the side as much as you can. It does not have to come all the way up the sides.  Use a round metal measuring cup or small ceramic bowl to pack the crust mixture down more evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on counter while you assemble the filling. 

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. (If you are doing a smaller 8 or 9" only go to 450 or 475.)

5 - 8oz packages of cream cheese ( you can use 2-3 packages of light cream cheese if you want.)

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

Zest of 50% of a lemon

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a standing mixer whip the cream cheese on medium high to smooth it out and incorporate some air into it.

Mix the 2 cups of sugar, flour and salt together and slowly add the the cream cheese mixture.
SCRAPE DOWN THE BOWL WITH A SPATULA=SDBWS!!!

Crack the 6 eggs into a separate bowl and then slowly add them one at a time to the batter. SDBWS!!! AFTER EACH EGG ADDITION...sorry to shout at you, but this is really the trick to the smoothest cheesecake possible.

Add the whipping cream and lemon zest to incorporate. SDBWS a couple times and you are ready to pour into your crust shell.  Fill near the top and rap on the counter a couple times to get the major bubbles out.  Lightly oil the sides with spray or a butter finger (LOL).

Place in center rack in the center of the oven and bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 250 and bake another 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Even if it looks gelatinous when you pull it out, it is done. Trust me. But you have to allow the room temperature cooling and then fridge time. All in all this dessert is best prepared in early morning or the day ahead to allow for all this special temperature timing.

Do not take the sides off until right before slicing and serving!

When slicing, go for small, slender slices.  Use a kitchen towel to wipe your knife after each cut.

Top with your favorite fruit such as cherries, strawberries, or blueberries.  I have a great lavender blueberry topping I will share tomorrow night for y'all!