New
York Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. Oh how I love the grainy texture of
the graham cracker
crust against the smoothness of the cream cheese filling. Cheesecake Squares
are just a modified version of cheesecake, only they don't take as long to bake
as they have less filling.
A New York Cheesecake starts with a Graham Cracker Crust. It
is made with, as its name implies, graham crackers, which are a flat,
rectangular-shaped, slightly sweet whole wheat cookie (cracker). They are
named after their creator, Rev. Sylvester Graham (1794 - 1851), who was a
United States dietary reformer. When crushed and mixed with a little sugar
and melted butter, graham crackers make a very nice pastry crust,
especially when paired with a creamy filling. There are two ways to set
the crust. One is to simply chill it in the refrigerator, the other way is
to bake it (used here). Always press the crumbs evenly into your pan and
while the crust may seem loose, it will harden after it bakes and cools.
The main component in a cheesecake filling is cream cheese, which is a
white, soft and spreadable cheese with a slightly tangy flavor. It has a
33% butterfat content so its texture is wonderfully smooth and creamy. To
ensure a smooth texture, free of lumps, always bring the cream cheese
to room temperature before beating. After adding the other ingredients the
filling is poured over the crust and baked just until it sets. Chill the
squares before cutting into individual slices. Make sure to
use a sharp knife and have a damp cloth nearby so you can wipe off the
knife between cuts. These squares are excellent plain or with fresh
berries. You could also serve them with
raspberry or strawberry sauce.
Note: If you live in a country where graham crackers are unavailable,
use crushed Digestive Biscuits or even crushed butter cookies.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160
degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have
ready a
9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x
33
x 5 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the
bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.
Graham Cracker
Crust: In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted
butter. Press mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in
preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Increase the oven
temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Cheesecake
Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the
cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and
beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Pour the cheesecake filling over
the graham cracker base and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheesecake
batter is just set.
Remove from oven
and place on a wire rack to cool. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to
make the squares easier to cut. To cut into squares - place on a cutting board,
remove the foil, and with a sharp knife, cut into 2 inch squares. Have a damp
cloth on hand to wipe the knife between cuts.
Garnish with fresh
berries, if desired.
Makes about 24 - 2
inch (5 cm) squares.
Source:
Malgieri, Nick. 'Cookies
Unlimited'. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 2000.
Machine
Translations are provided by an automated service and the accuracy of the
translations are not up to the standards of human translation. Machine
translations are provided for use by people with little or no English
skills. We recommend that people proficient in English use the English pages
rather then the machine translated pages.
Use of materials on Joyofbaking.com is
entirely at the risk of the user and Joyofbaking.com, Stephanie Jaworski or
Rick Jaworski
will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting
from the use.
This
website and the contents are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner
of the "Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster,
Inc.
Content in any form may
not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski,
Joyofbaking.com. Students and non profit educators may use content without
permission with proper credit.
Page loading ... Please wait.
