New York Cheesecake

I actually don’t really like cheesecake, but my boys do so I’ve had to learn how to make an acceptable New York style cheesecake. This recipe is quick, easy and relatively cheap to make. You can keep it simple and leave it plain, or decorate it with your favourite fruit.

My boys love cheesecake, but unfortunately for them I don’t make it very often – about once every three years on average, until I found this recipe. This is so simple, and everyone (young and old) seems to like it!

For this recipe I do recommend you use a food processor. You can certainly make it without one, but it will be better and easier with one. It will also be useful for some of my other recipes.

Ingredients

Base

• 120g biscuits – we use Nice or similar
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 50g melted butter

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups (or 300mL) sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 500g cream cheese
• 40g melted butter

Method

Turn the oven on low – about 160 degrees Celsius. Get your tin ready – a round springform tin (about 23 cm) is best. Don’t grease the tin, but line the base with greaseproof paper.

Put the biscuits, sugar and 50g of melted butter into the food processor and whiz it up until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Put in the tin, and spread it out evenly over the base. Press it down a little bit so it looks even.

Wash the food processor, and add the sour cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix for about 1 minute. This is an important step to get the sugar to dissolve, so don’t rush it! Add in the cream cheese, and mix until smooth (about 20 seconds). With the processor still going, pour in the 40g of melted butter and mix for a few seconds until blended and then simply tip it all into the tin over the biscuit mixture.

Finally, cook the cheesecake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 45 minutes, and remove from oven to cool. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Enjoy

New York cheesecake is rich and creamy and can be enjoyed as is. It is also lovely with fruit, or icing sugar on top, or cream – or any combination of all of these. I’ve made this recipe three times in the last 6 months, which has really pleased my boys and everyone who has eaten it.

I hope you enjoy it too!