blue ribbon cheesecake
and
Dead Sea Caramel Sauce with Rosemary, Peach, and Bourbon
blue ribbon cheesecake
There are so many different styles of cheesecake. In addition to the classic New York style, brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and made famous by Junior’s restaurant, there are Italian cheesecakes made with ricotta, Basque cheesecakes with their deeply caramelized tops, and three-layer cheesecake pies. Then there are cheesecakes with add-ins of all kinds, such as pumpkin, chocolate, and all the beautiful cheesecakes at the Cheesecake Factory. The most extraordinary cheesecake I ever encountered was a Thai cheesecake, called Pandan Cotton Soft Cheesecake, that’s fabulous, and unlike any other. I promise to share that recipe, but today, for Shavuot, I’m sticking to my heritage.
I don’t mind fresh fruit as a garnish, and sometimes a sauce on the side can be nice, but for the most part, I prefer plain, unadulterated cheesecake.
This is the one that took the Blue Ribbon at the Shavuot Cheesecake Bake-off. Tasters agreed that it was just right—creamy but also firm, with the perfect balance of sweet, tang, and vanilla. A tiny touch of lemon adds a splash of sunshine and a secret unexpected ingredient rounds out the flavors and pushes it over the top.
It’s not absolutely necessary, but this Dead Sea Caramel Sauce with Rosemary, Peach, and Bourbon is a lovely complement. I dare you to resist eating it by the spoonful!
A few words about vanilla…
When I was a kid, vanilla meant ice cream that wasn’t chocolate. It wasn’t a flavor, it was the absence of flavor. It was stuff that came in little brown bottles that grandma put in puddings and cakes, a liquid that smelled like alcohol and chemicals.
And then, I discovered real vanilla. Talk about a revelation!
But all vanilla flavoring is not the same.
(And I’m not including artificial vanilla extract in this conversation. In fact, I never will.)
Like wine, the flavor of a vanilla bean is influenced by the soil upon which it’s grown. There are well over 100 kinds, but the ones you’re most likely to come across are Madagascar (also known as Bourbon, which has nothing to do with the whiskey by the same name), Mexican, and Tahitian. They each have their own flavor profile.
I prefer to use vanilla paste over vanilla extract. The flavor is more intense because it combines vanilla extract with actual vanilla bean pods. The flecks of vanilla seeds also lend an opulent, impressive look to desserts.
But I’ve discovered that all vanilla bean paste is not the same. I’ve tried a few. Let me save you the trouble and suggest this one.
Equipment:
There are places where a whisk will do, but to make a proper cheesecake you’ll need an electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer. A good stand mixer is an investment. Yes, they’re expensive, but if you can go for it, it will serve you well for a very long time. Mine is 30 years old. It has a few dings, but it still does the job. If I were to get a new one, I’d get this one, because it’s got all the power and capacity I need. Having great equipment makes me enthusiastic about using it. Take the plunge and you just might find yourself on a baking binge!
You’ll also need a springform pan. I’ve got several springform pans, and this one is my absolute favorite. Why? Because it does what it’s supposed to do, it doesn’t leak, and it’s so pretty!
blue ribbon cheesecake
New York Style
A few important tips about successful cheesecake making:
Plan ahead. This cheesecake is best made 2 days in advance of serving.
Have all ingredients at room temperature. (Critical! Let them sit out for at least 2 hours!)
Never turn your mixer any higher than medium speed at most. You want to avoid incorporating air into the batter.
Take the elaborate wrapping of the pan seriously.
Don’t skip the water bath.
Don’t open the oven door for the first 90 minutes of baking, or the beautiful steam created by your water bath will escape.
Do let the cheesecake sit in the oven, door partially open, undisturbed, for 1 hour after the baking is finished.
For The Crust
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
Method:
Place flour, butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt, egg yolk, and vanilla bean seeds into a medium bowl.
Using your fingertips, work the ingredients until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape both into disks.
Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Unwrap one disk and press it evenly onto the bottom of a 9" spring form pan.
Unwrap the second disk. Pull off pieces of the dough and press them around the sides of pan, as evenly as you can, smoothing the seams between the chunks with your fingers.
Set the springform on a large piece of plastic wrap and fold it up over the sides. Then, place the pan on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold the foil up the sides all around it, pressing it tightly against the sides. Make sure all seams you make in the foil are at the very top. You do not want to leave any possibility of water seeping into the pan.
Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan.
Set the pan aside while you make the filling.
For the Filling
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds cream cheese, 3 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
4 eggs + 1 yolk
1 ½ cups white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cups sour cream
the peel of 1 lemon or lime, finely grated (You need this microplane!)
a squeeze of fresh juice from the above citrus fruit
1 ½ tablespoon vanilla paste
2 Tbsp bourbon (there’s that secret, unexpected ingredient I mentioned!)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed until it’s completely smooth and free of any lumps.
Add the sugar and beat for another minute to combine well. Scrape down with a rubber spatula.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Continue to beat slowly between each addition, and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next egg. Beat only until just combined.
Add sour cream, lemon zest and juice, bourbon, and vanilla. Turn the mixer back on low/medium. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but do not over-beat.
Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan that is ready and waiting in your roasting pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.
Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about 2 inches up the sides of the springform pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake.
Bake for 1 ½ hours. Do not open the oven door during this time. After 90 minutes, you can check. The cheesecake should still jiggle in the center (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overbake.
Turn off the oven, open the door part way, and let the cake rest for 1 hour.
Then, take the roasting pan, with the cake inside it, out of the oven.
Immediately upon removing it from oven, run a knife around the edge of the springform pan, between the rim and the cake, so that the cake will not crack as it cools. Let it cool in the roasting pan for another half hour.
Remove the springform from the roasting pan and strip away the foil and the plastic wrap. Continue to let the cake cool in the pan until it comes to room temperature, then cover the top with plastic wrap. Stretch the wrap tightly so that it doesn’t touch the cake.
Place the cake, still in the springform, in the refrigerator to chill over night.
In order for the cheesecake to reach optimum texture and flavor, it’s best made two days before serving.
When ready to serve, remove the ring and place the cake, still on the pan bottom, on a serving plate.
Serve as is, or dress it up with some fresh fruit. You can serve it with a drizzle of the sauce (recipe below), and offer more sauce on the side.
Dead Sea Caramel Sauce with Rosemary, Peach, and Bourbon
Salted caramel has been on everyone’s radar for years now. We’ve all discovered how adding salt to sweet things makes their flavors blossom.
The use of herbs in sweets does essentially the same thing. The first time I watched my brother the chef add chopped parsley to a blueberry pie I was amazed, and I was floored by the result. Fresh herbs make desserts more complex and intriguing, and fruits are especially partial to herbs.
A friend brought me a jar of Dead Sea Salt from Israel, and that salt became part of my Shabbat challah board until every crystal was gone. We could really taste the difference that all those minerals added. It seemed like the right salt to use here, especially for Shavuot. I was happy to find out that the same one is available here. Of course, you could use any good quality sea salt.
I’m a fool for a good caramel sauce. This is a great caramel sauce.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 fluid ounces water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 large, ripe peaches, skin and pits removed
¾ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon Dead Sea salt, or to taste
Method:
Place the rosemary in a medium saucepan with the water. Bring it to a boil, then immediately remove the pot from the heat and let it stand until cool. Remove and discard the rosemary.
Add the sugar to the pot with the rosemary water. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, swirling the pan to help the sugar dissolve.
While the sugar is cooking, put the peaches and bourbon in a blender or food processor. Purée until completely smooth, and strain out any lumps if necessary.
When the sugar turns a medium amber brown, pour in half of the cream. The mixture will bubble up quite furiously. When the bubbling calms down a little, add in the remaining cream, the butter, and the salt.
The caramel will begin bubbling intensely again. Stir with a wooden spoon and allow to boil until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in the peach puree and the vanilla bean paste.
Cool to room temperature, then store the caramel sauce, in a jar in the refrigerator.
The sauce can be warmed before serving if you like, in a microwave at half power, or by setting the closed jar in a bowl with hot water.