new york style cheesecake

new york style cheesecake

(makes one 18cm/7” round pan)

for gluten-free version: use any kind of gluten-free biscuits & substitute the flour with cornstarch or potato starch, otherwise follow the instructions below

crust

120 g plain butter biscuits

100 g sugar

100 g melted butter

cheese filling

550 g cream cheese (I used local brand)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

5 egg yolks

3 tbsp flour

zest of one lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

cherry sauce

500 g pitted cherries

150 g sugar

juice of half a lemon

lay out the pan with two layers of aluminum foil

make crust: crush the biscuits finely, add sugar and melted butter, mix well, press to the sides and the bottom of the pan. put into freezer to set.

make filling: mix the cheese with sugar, add the egg and yolks, one at time, mixing well each time, scraping the bowl after each addition to make the cheese incorporated

add the flour, lemon zest and vanilla, mix well, until there are no more lumps

pour into the crust

put into an oven preheated to 200C, bake for 45-50 minutes, until the sides are set and the middle is slightly wobbly when you move the pan

let cool down

let sit in fridge overnight for best effect

make the sauce: cook the cherries with sugar and lemon juice for 3 minutes, until slightly softened

take them out of the syrup and drain the remaining liquid

cook the syrup until it’s of the desired consistency (10-15 minutes)

serve chilled, preferably with a little bit of mint