Best New York Italian Cheesecake By Frances Recipes

A NEW YORKER'S REAL ITALIAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Wrap the outside of a 10-inch springform pan with foil to prevent water from seeping in while baking.
• Mix sugar, crumbs, and melted butter together well to form crust.
• Press this mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides until you run out.
• Bake crust for about 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire rack while preparing the batter.
• With a mixer, cream together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, flour, and sugar until very smooth.
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, blend well but DO NOT OVER MIX THE BATTER!
• Stir in the sour cream and vanilla by hand.
• Pour mixture into cooled crust.
• Place cheesecake into a large rectangular pan filled with about 1 1/2 inches of hot water.
• Make sure foil is high enough around the springform pan so that no water seeps into it while baking.
• Bake for 90 minutes.
• After 90 minutes, turn oven off but leave cake in oven for another 60 minutes (DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR).
• Carefully remove cake from water pan and remove foil from springform pan.
• Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
• Cover cake with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator overnight.
• Enjoy!

NEW YORK ITALIAN STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Move an oven rack to the middle of the oven.
• Beat the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the butter, flour, cornstarch, and vanilla extract; mix until well combined. Fold in the sour cream and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 2 more hours. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Run a thin spatula around the edge of the cheesecake before springing open the pan to remove. Serve at room temperature or cold; refrigerate leftovers.

ITALIAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Scrape down the sides and add the lemon and orange zests. Turn the mixer back on to low speed. Add the milk and egg. Turn the speed to medium and mix until well combined (scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary). Turn the mixer off and add the flour. Carefully turn the mixer on a slow speed and mix just until a dough forms, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface dusted with flour. Knead until it forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: Combine the ricotta cheese, granulated sugar, custard/pudding, lemon zest, orange zest and semolina flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. Add the vanilla orange and blossom water. Add in the whole eggs and egg yolks in 3 batches. Mix on slow speed in between each addition.
• Grease the inside of a 9-inch nonstick springform pan with pan spray. Roll the dough into a circle approximately 14 inches wide. Roll the dough into the pan and press it out into an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Pour the filling into the pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheesecake is golden brown, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
• Remove from the pan and put onto a decorative plate or platter. Dust the top with powdered sugar using a small mesh strainer. Decorate the center with fresh cranberries and sprigs of rosemary.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon (if using) and process until you've got fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add melted butter. Using your hands, mix well until no dry spots remain (crumb mixture should not be sandy or dry, but hold small clumps when pressed together).
• Press crust evenly into the bottom and at least 1 1/2-inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the bottom is as even as possible. Bake on the middle rack until crust is set and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove pan from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on high until mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium and 1 at a time, add eggs and yolk, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg is added. With the mixer on low, add flour and beat just to blend, until no lumps remain.
• Pour filling into prepared crust (if filling goes above the crust, that is O.K.). Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are completely set and the 2-inch inner circle of the cheesecake wobbles just slightly, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Turn heat off and let cheesecake remain in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let sit on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. When cool, transfer to refrigerator until totally set, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.