CheeseCake

Tomorrow I am going to a hang out with my cousins and make some Duck and Dumplings. My younger cousin, Jenna, really loves cheesecake so I thought I'd surprise her by making one. This recipe takes some time but the end result is so creamy and luscious. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the cheesecake to cool down for so long before you can eat it. haha

While waiting for my cheesecake to cool, I was reading some of my first blog posts and saw that I always ended it with Na Zdraví. I don't know when I stopped doing this but I think I'm going to try to bring it back!

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:

33 graham cracker squares, crumbled
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional, for brushing the pan
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

20 ounces cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 by 3-inch cake pan. Adhere parchment to the bottom and the sides.

2. In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Place remaining crumbs on a sheet pan and bake both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve additional crumb mixture for sides.

3. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to medium until everything is well mixed. Scrape the bowl.

4. In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the cooled crust.

5. Put in a 300 degrees F oven. Place cheesecake into a preheated water bath, in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute. Close the door for one more 1/2 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool before serving.

6. When ready to serve, place the entire cake pan into a hot water bath for about 15 seconds. Unmold onto a cake round or serving dish. Take the remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.

7. To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you make a pass through the cake.

Na Zdraví