Cheesecake

Cheesecake w/ Blueberries, Whipped Cream, and Powdered Sugar

There's nothing better than a dense & decadent cheesecake. It has "American" written all over it. There are hundreds of variations and flavors that have gotten created. They range from Basque cheesecake, a cheesecake that looks charred & cracked, to a Japanese jiggly cheesecake. A Japanese jiggly cheesecake is a fluffy & light cheesecake that jiggles fresh out of the oven.

This cheesecake has every quality of a basic one. The filling is perfect with its smooth & lush texture. I also love that it isn't overly sweet. I made the crust with Biscoff cookies instead of graham crackers since I didn't have any on hand. The flavor was crisp and had a bunch of ginger spice.

My only mistake was not lining the base of my springform pan with parchment paper. The crust was stuck to it like cement since the bottom wasn't smooth. It had geodesic bumps & ridges.

Recipe

Makes 1 6 inch cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

• 12 1/3 biscoff cookies

• 3 tbsp butter, melted

Filling

• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 3 tbsp milk, room temperature

• 4 tsp butter, room temperature

• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Take the cream cheese, eggs, milk, and butter out of the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

2. Prep the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Crust

1. Line the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, add the Biscoff cookies and pulse until it resembles sand.

3. Add the melted butter and salt.

4. Pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand.

5. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and use a measuring cup to press it evenly over the bottom of the pan, all the way to the edges.

6. Bake for 8 minutes. The crust will look underbaked and feel soft to the touch when you remove it from the oven but will firm up as it cools.

7. Set on a wire rack to cool it slightly while you make the filling.

Filling

1. In the bowl of a Standmixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With a spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Add the next egg after the previous one gets incorporated fully. Make sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.

4. With the mixer on low, add the butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat until combined, about 1 minute.

5. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on medium for an additional 30 seconds.

6. Pour the filling over the crust and use a spatula to smooth the top.

Baking

1. Tightly wrap the bottom of the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil.

2. Place in the center of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan or roasting pan.

3. Pour boiling water into the pan until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

4. Bake for 90 minutes, or until the cheesecake's edges are set, but the center still wobbles slightly.

5. Check the cheesecake at 60 minutes. The outer edges of the cheesecake should be starting to set. If the edges have set completely, check for doneness again in 5 or 10 minutes. Cover the top of the springform pan with a loose sheet of aluminum foil if the cheesecake is browning too much.

6. Once the cheesecake has finished baking, turn off the oven.

7. Open the oven door just a crack, propping it open with a heatproof cooking utensil like a wooden spoon.

8. Leave the cheesecake in the water bath in the oven for 30 minutes.

9. After 30 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on a wire rack.

10. Run a hot butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Cool the cheesecake completely in the springform pan on the wire rack.

11. Cover the top of the springform pan loosely with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until the cheesecake is firm, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

12. Unlatch the springform pan and lift the springform pan's sides away from the pan's bottom using a hot serrated knife. Use a hot knife to slice and serve.

13. Serve chilled from the refrigerator.

Leftover cheesecake slices can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Notes

• Flambella adapted this recipe from https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2013/03/miette-s-miniature-cheesecake.html. From the website http://www.hummingbirdhigh.com.