Help, New York style Baked Cheesecake

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Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:28 am

Ok, I got ambitious for tomorrow night, I've been looking after a section for absentee owners, from NY, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges etc for the last 18 months

They are here now, and invited me around for dinner tomorrow night, they are doing the roast lamb etc, I'm doing dessert

Thought I'd go for NY Baked cheesecake, it looked simple, ok, I did change a few things, like whipping the egg whites to give a more lighter texture, I'm using greek style yoghurt and sourcream to top it with along with some home made plum sauce

Problem is, after 2 hours in the oven, it is still a long way from set, and the top is starting to brown, how dark is the usual NY cheesecake?

Do I leave it for another hour, then turn the oven off, and let it cool and set as per recipe?

Do I give it to the dog, and go for something simpler before tomorrow night?

edited : spelling

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:40 am

Leave it for an hour....

Give to dog

Go to store and buy one..... Laughing

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:49 am

not very helpful person wrote:

Go to store and buy one.....

I live near the end of a long valley, the nearest town of any size, 3 shops and a garage, is an hour away and closed hours ago. And don't suggest going for a drive tomorrow, it's summer here, and the area is full of bloody tourists driving (badly) oversized campervans

Ok, I'll wait up another hour, then if it all fails, will go for rhubarb and yoghurt with meringue topping on a ginger biscuit base

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:44 am

NY cheesecake isn't supposed to be light and fluffy, high density is one of its features. I think the overbrowning is also from the meringue. Cheesecake doesnt usually brown.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:49 pm

I echo this. I'm not too sure whipping the whites was a wisest move.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:21 pm

If I recall correctly, NY style cheesecake doesn't really set while cooking, it all happens as it cools down & not completely until refrigerated.

The excess browning, maybe you cooked it at too high a temperature? My best results came from reducing the temperature along the way - starting really hot, maybe 250C for a brief sizzle, but then allowing the oven to gradually reduce down to about 120C & leaving it there 1.5 hrs or so.

Anyway I'm sure it's all too late now, how did it turn out in the end?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:07 pm

My comments earlier were mean't in a jocular way, if I caused offence I apologise

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:39 pm

@ Vampire. no offense caused, I got a chuckle from the comment Very Happy

Firehouse, fully agree, the whipped egg white was a mistake, I can be a bit experimental, usually at the wrong time

Bohigal, you are so right Very Happy

Ok, it did settle down and firm up, after 3 hours at 140*C, left it in the oven overnight, no cracks on top, colour is a dark yellow on top, I can trim the edges up, then I'm putting a sour cream and youghurt top, with plum topping. Not traditional, but I have plums falling everywhere off the trees,

Photo to come later in the day here once I get organised

Thanks

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:06 pm

Let us know how it turns out? NY style cheese cake, like Firehouse said, firms up during cool down and refrigeration. It's dense and velvety. Always a matter of your tastebuds, but I'd skip yogurt as a topping-the cake isn't very sweet and has a tang. Fruit with or without syrup usually goes best. Plums sound great.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

This is a fucking disaster. Why didn't you call me first?

I give up.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:15 pm

I've never had baked cheesecake with yogurt. Only pounds of cream cheese. It sounds like it should be delightful. My first true love many years ago spent hours and hours and lots of our minimum wage salary making baked cheesecake. I remember it being light brown on top with a textured skin like no other cheesecake I have had since. I once raided the fridge for some strawberry jam, spread it on the top, got a dirty look that could melt glass and never had homemade baked cheesecake ever again in my life.

The plum topping sounds wonderful too. If you have any left over can you send it to me?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:20 pm

^^^Pretty common for NY cheesecake to have a thin sour-cream topping. Yogurt would be a fine substitute. I don't think irish was making a yogurtcake, ick! Smile

@irishemigrant: did you use graham crackers for the crust? Please tell me you did. Btw the plum sauce sounds delicious.

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 5:04 am

I have seen pics of Irish's homemade bread. I am certain the cheesecake will be stellar. Thumbs up

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:11 pm

My bet is no graham crackers as they seem to be rare specimens indeed outside of N America! Had to resort to importing few boxes... Then a "close enough" recipe for crumbs.

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:15 pm

PF Wrote:

Quote:

This is a fucking disaster. Why didn't you call me first?

What good would Stellar Photoshop skills do in this case? Am confused....

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^ Any other questions?

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:01 pm

Ok, it turned out really well, my friends, who actually come from New York, and are so American as to make PF appear to be Canadian, were suitably impressed

I used a sour cream/greek yoghurt topping, with simmered plum juice sprinkled over

The contrast of the slightly sour topping, with the (oh sweet Jesus this is so rich) cheesecake was just right

@PF, thank you for the offer of help, I will remember to consult with you next time. Why I will I have no idea, but I see that you have mastered Photoshop Level 2 really well Very Happy

@ Daughter of the Sidhe, thank you for the display of confidence in my culinary skills, I'll send the bagels next week Wink

Bohigal and Firehouse, I used gingernut biscuits, with a bit of added ground ginger for the base, we do have something similar to Graham crackers here, but they taste like sawdust, much the same as Graham crackers Laughing

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:28 pm

^
That looks yummy-licious Smile

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:46 pm

OMG, the phone rang while I was looking at the photo and could not answer or even talk right away. I was salivating so much that after swallowing I could only string three words together at a time.

Gingernut biscuits sound amazing.

Here's a great recipe for graham crackers. I use sugar instead of brown sugar and butter instead of shortening, flatten them out, cut them round and cook them like a cookie, put a scoop of ice cream between two and call it a chilly burger. They go great in Minnesota in January. Laughing

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/graham-crackers/

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

irishemigrant wrote:

simmered plum juice sprinkled over

That sounds fantastic, great contrast.

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 9:31 pm

Irish, that looks fantastic, well done!

I have never tried NY baked cheesecake, but it sounds scrummy.

Can I come visit as well? Smile

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:12 pm

That looked so good I was drooling!

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 28 Dec 2013 Posts: 16

As a lover of all things cheesecake, I have to say this looks yummy.

I disagree about Graham crackers, though. Love honey grams with milk. Smile

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 2:25 am

That looks delicious, irish!

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:17 am

@Irish, I knew you'd knock it out of the park. Absolutely amazing! My mouth got all watery just looking at it. Well done! Thumbs up

You're trying to safari the lot of us, yes? ♥

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