New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients

Strawberry Topping

• 1 lb fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 lemons juice and zest

Graham Cracker Crust

• 2 cups ground honey graham cracker crumbs (2 sleeves) *see notes for gf
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

New York Cheesecake

• 4 (8 oz blocks) full fat philadelphia cream cheese, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 + 1 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temp
• 2 lemons, juice freshly squeezed and zest
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream, room temp

Instructions

1. Rinse, hull, and quarter the strawberries. Reserve ½ cup off to the side. Then in a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch then toss in the strawberries (minus the ½ cup) to evenly coat. Stir in the lemon juice and place over medium heat.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and heat for about 5-8 minutes or until strawberries become tender. Once soft, use an immersion blender or scoop out half of the mixture into a blender/food processor to puree half of the strawberries. Return to the saucepan along with the reserved 1/2 cup of fresh uncooked berries. Stir and heat for another minute until glossy and thickened.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Pour the sauce into a container and leave uncovered to cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill and thicken.
4. Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a 9 inch springform pan. Lightly coat the entire inside with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with parchment paper and press two strips (or as many as it takes to cover the walls) of parchment paper up against the sides. They should peak over top the pan just a little.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs (finely ground in a food processor), sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then stir in the melted butter until you get the texture of wet sand.
6. Pour into the pan and press it down into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. It should almost reach the top. I like to use a small measuring cup to pack it in.
7. Bake for 10 minutes then set it out to cool while you prepare the cheesecake.
8. Drop the oven temperature to 315 and place a large baking pan on the very bottom rack of your oven, like a roast pan. While you prepare the cheesecake, get a medium sized pot of water boiling over the stove. You’ll pour this into the baking pan once you’re ready to bake.
9. Before you start, make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temp. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! If you forgot to leave them out or are just impatient (like me) you can fill a bowl with warm water and let the cream cheese or eggs sit in there for about 20 minutes. If you need to bring up the temperature of both, make sure to place them in separate bowls.
10. For best results, I recommend using a stand mixer. A hand mixer is also an option, but be very careful and only work on low speed.
11. In a 2 cup measuring glass, beat together the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla with a fork. Set aside.
12. With the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium-low speed just until it’s smooth (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add in the sugar and cornstarch and mix on low for about 30 seconds to combine.
13. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix again on low speed for another 30 seconds to smooth out.
14. With the mixer on the lowest setting, slowly add in the egg mixture. It should take 3 to 4 pours and PATIENCE. You’ll be tempted to bump up the speed but don’t do it!
15. Take the bowl off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the sour cream.
16. Pour the batter into the pan and tap it against your counter a couple times to bring up any air bubbles that might have been caught in there.
17. Carefully pour the boiling water from the stovetop into the pan on the bottom rack and place the cheesecake on the middle rack just above it. Move quickly to trap in that steam.
18. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes. It’s done when the edges are golden and the center jiggles when the pan is nudged. Once it’s done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn off the oven, and crack the door open. Let it sit in there for an hour.
19. After the hour is up, put the cheesecake in the fridge uncovered and let it chill overnight. The next day, remove from the pan, slice, and top with powdered sugar, homemade strawberry sauce, or leave it as is. Enjoy!