How about a cheesecake for Shavuot?

How about a Cheesecake for Shavuot?

Rick Arciniaga | Controller, Jewish Long Beach

For the last 8 years, rather than bringing donuts to the office in a pink box, I would bring in various home baked treats, including cheesecake, as a means of expressing my joy for being a Jewish Long Beach employee.  I found that baking was a relaxing hobby, and complete opposite of the stress of working as a Controller in Accounting. 

To become an expert at anything, you need to be patient, accept that you will fail, recognize your mistakes and learn from the masters. I will admit, I was not an instant success, I’ve had my share of baking failures like cheesecakes with cracks the size of the San Andreas Fault!

At the end of April, I will be retiring. However, before I leave , I will be sure to bake another cheesecake or two as my way of saying thank you for 8 wonderful years as staff member of the AJCC and Jewish Long Beach. 

In honor of the holiday of Shavuot, during which dairy foods are eaten as a symbol of the “land of milk and honey,” please enjoy my favorite cheesecake recipe by Ashley Manila (Baker by Nature).

New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter melted

For the Filling:

• 3 8oz packages full-fat cream cheese

• 1 cup (227g) full-fat sour cream

• 1¼  cups granulated sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 large eggs room temperature

• 2 large egg yolks room temperature

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• ½ cup  heavy cream

Instructions

For the Crust

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray. Wrap bottom and sides of pan with foil and set aside until needed.

• In a large bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, salt, melted butter. Mix well. Press crust into prepared pan, slightly up the sides.

• Bake for 10 min. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack, set aside while you prepare filling.  Reduce oven to 325° F. 

For the Filling

• In a food processor, add cream cheese and sour cream and beat until smooth. Beat in sugar and vanilla until combined.  

• On the lowest speed, beat in eggs one at a time until combined

• Fold in flour, then fold in the cream, until combined.

• Pour filling into the prepared crust and smooth top. Place pan into a larger deep pan. Fill pan with 3-inches of hot water. This is your water bath and will help your cheesecake come out crack free!

• Bake for 1½ hrs, then turn oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let cheesecake sit in the oven in water bath for 30 min as it cools down. 

• Place cheesecake on a cooling rack and cool completely, then chill for at least 6 hrs. Enjoy!