New York Cheesecake

This recipe makes enough cheesecake to fill a 9-inch pie dish and make an extra cheesecake in a loaf tin. Make some for a party, and keep the rest at home! This is an extravagant cheesecake, as all good cheesecakes are, but it is far superior to most bought versions. Try some of the variations to serve as birthday cakes or special-occasion desserts.

Ingredients:

For the Biscuit Base:

• 1 packet gingernut or Vanilla Wine biscuits
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 100 grams butter

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 900 grams full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia is ideal)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¾ cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (250 grams) sour cream
• 1 Tbsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preparing the Biscuit Base:

1. Crush biscuits finely in a food processor.
2. Melt butter and mix butter, biscuits and cinnamon together.
3. Press into the bottom of a greased 9-inch pie dish and a greased, lined loaf tin.

Preparing the Cheesecake Filling

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, using electric beaters, cream the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
3. Add the milk and beat until combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat the sour cream in until just combined.
6. Add vanilla and stir until combined and smooth.
7. Pour mixture into pie dish until full. Pour any leftover into the loaf tin.
8. Place the pie dish in a larger pan full of hot water and bake for 50 minutes, or until cheesecake is nearly set. It can be slightly wobbly in the centre. (Depending on the size of your oven, the loaf tin can be refrigerated and baked later).
9. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside, door ajar, until completely cold. Chill in the fridge until serving. This cheesecake tastes even better the next day.

Make sure you follow the rules for a perfect cheesecake!

Variations:

Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake

Melt a 250 gram block of chocolate and stir into half the cheesecake mixture. With a ladle, alternate pouring the white and chocolate mixtures into the pie dish, then swirl a knife through the mixture a few times to achieve a marbled effect. Chocolate biscuits may be used for the base in place of gingernuts.

Swirled Cheesecakes

Using a squirty bottle for ease, swirl passionfruit or berry icecream topping over the cheesecake before baking. Chocolate or caramel sauce may also be used.

Lemon Cheesecake

Add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and the grated ring of one lemon to the mixture in place of the vanilla.

Raspberry Orange Sauce

To serve with a plain or lemon cheesecake, heat 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries with the grated rind and juice of an orange and 1 Tbsp honey until combined. Strain if desired. Serve this sauce spooned over the cheesecake, or in puddles on the serving plate, to cut the sweetness with a pleasant tang.

Creaming cream cheese and sugar together

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