For a very long time now I have had this image in my mind. The image of a slice of creamy cheesecake with a buttery and almost crunchy crust, suspended in a background of soft blue, its edges freckled with fine dusted sugar that resemble snow flakes; almost as if it were hanging from the sky. This is the image of a snowy Christmas morning in my head.
This happens frequently. Frequently the process of creating a recipe is reversed in my head. Instead of starting with an idea, or ingredient, I start with an image and work my way back. Anyway, after reasoning with myself long and hard about the futility of an eight inch cheesecake in my life right now, I gave in. I finally made the damn dream cake, and it was delicious. Also, it is almost Christmas and nobody needs to feel guilty about eating a few extra slices of cheesecake during this time of the year.
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 lb (24 oz) cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 orange, zested
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Grease the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, salt, and sugar and mix well. Press the crust mixture onto the bottom of springform pan and bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When completely cooled, butter the sides of the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, citrus zest, and vanilla extract until light and creamy.
- Add the cornstarch and give it one quick mix.
- Then add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add whipping cream and mix until smooth.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake at 325°F for approximately 1 hour, or until the edge and top are light golden brown, and the center barely jiggles.
- Remove the cake from oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for two hours. Then cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. Add the topping just before serving.
- In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the fruit begins to soften and break down slightly. Let cool completely before spreading on cheesecake.
- You can also serve it without any toppings. I like to garnish it with a sour cream glaze and strawberry however.
Dhrubaa Mukherjee--An academic by profession, a contributor to Huffington Post, a dancer by passion, a compulsive foodie, a former flight attendant, and a constant traveler, I am, what they call, a transnational gourmand (gourmet?). I am not only fascinated by the tastes, colors, textures and aromas of food, I am equally intrigued by the histories, traditions and cultural inter-junctions that drive/influence recipes.
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