New York Cheesecake

This is the best cheesecake ever! I love everything about it. We sometimes add fruit to the top, or a raspberry sauce, but you can also do chocolate. My aunt gave us this recipe and it has become a family favorite.

So here it is: 

New York Cheesecake

Shortbread crust:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest, optional
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 Tbs unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 egg white beaten 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan. Wisk the dry together. Mash in butter with a fork. Add egg yolk and mix just until the dough forms a ball. Press about 1/3 of the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until crust is lightly golden brown, about 10-15 min. Cool completely on rack. Press remaining dough around the sides of the pan, making sure that the dough is attached to the bottom crust. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the egg white. Refrigerate the crust until ready to use.


Filling:

• 2 1/2 lbs. cream cheese ( 5 8oz packages)
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbs flour ( optional)
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 5 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Have all ingredients at room temperature. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and flour; beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the beaters and sides of the bowl, about 1-2 min. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time, just until in corporates, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition. On low speed, beat in the cream. Scrap the batter into the crust. Bake for 15 min. at 500 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off and prop oven door open for 30 min. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate. 

And there you have it! This recipe is a little bit long, but trust me you won't regret making it one bit :)