American Cuisine
Crust ingredients:
- 130 g
crushed graham crackers/digestive biscuits
- 60 g
butter, melted
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Blueberry compote
Filling ingredients:
- 600 g
cream cheese, at room temperature
- 200 g
sour cream
- 150 g
sugar
- 3 large eggs + one yolk, at room temperature
- 3 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp lemon grated zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Crust directions:
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Grease or place parchment paper on a spring form pan.
- Mix together the crushed crackers or biscuits, melted butter and sugar
until well blended.
- Press this mix on to the bottom and sides of the pan firmly until it’s
even.
- Keep it to chill, or if you want the crust to be crispy, bake it for
10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Filling directions:
- Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until creamy.
- Continue to beat while adding the sugar.
- Switch to a wire whisk, which makes sure you don’t beat in much air.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Do not over
beat, just make sure they are incorporated well.
- Add cornstarch, if using. It helps stabilize the cheesecake and
prevents cracks forming on the surface. The texture will be more cake-like
rather than creamy.
- Pour in sour cream, lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract. Mix until
smooth.
- Get the crust and brush the surface lightly with some egg white.
- To make a bain-marie, wrap the pan in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum
foil to prevent any water from seeping into the cheesecake.
- Place pan into a larger pan that contains enough boiled water to rise
one inch up the sides of the spring form pan.
- Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until
the sides turn golden. The rim of the cheesecake will be firm to touch, and the
centre will be wobbly.
- Turn off oven, run a spatula around the edges and leave it in the oven
to cool with the door ajar until completely set, for about 40 minutes.
- Cool it on a rack for 30 minutes before refrigerating.
- Serve with Blueberry compote.