CHEESECAKE

Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake

Gourmet Magazine 1999

Crumb Crust

GOURMET NOVEMBER 1999

YIELDMakes enough for a 24-centimeter cheesecake ACTIVE TIME10 min TOTAL TIME10 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (5 oz) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers or gingersnaps

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

24 centimeters=9.44 inches.  Just use a 9” OR 10” pan.

PREPARATION

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

YIELDMakes 8 to 10 servings ACTIVE TIME30 min TOTAL TIME9 1/2 hr

INGREDIENTS

• 1 crumb crust recipe with finely ground graham crackers
• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• For topping
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION

• Make crumb crust as directed. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Make filling and bake cake:
• Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
• Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Let stand in baking pan on a rack 5 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make topping:
• Stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of topping around edge of cake and spread gently over center, smoothing evenly. Bake cake with topping 10 minutes.
• Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side from pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cooks' note:

Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.

Crumb Crust

YIELDMakes enough for a 24-centimeter cheesecake ACTIVE TIME10 min TOTAL TIME10 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (5 oz) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers or gingersnaps
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

• Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.