RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : David Sternlight Cheesecake, Molly Lukens' - dairy
There are many "secrets" to cheesecake, depending on what you're used to. If you're used to the original Lindy's (not the modern restaurant of the same name) or Turf cheesecake in NY, the "secrets" are: 1. Never use any cheese but Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese. That's ANY cheese. No cheeses other than cream cheese. No cream cheese other than Philly. Especially, no "baker's cheese"--an abomination for this recipe. The NY Times Cook book used to have the "right" recipe. But the latest edition adds extra ingredients. The latest edition of the NY Times International Cookbook has the right recipe, except they use a graham cracker crust, which isn't quite authentic. 2. No sour cream. None. Zero. 3. Cake crust, not a graham cracker crust. Molly Lukens' "New York Cookbook" has two recipes that are almost right--the Lindy's and the Junior's. What I would do for the absolute, true taam is make the crust from the Lindy's recipe in Lukens' book, and the filling from the NY Times International Cookbook. Note that I'm of a certain age such that I've eaten both originals, at Lindy's and Turf's--both long gone. Ah--here's the original Lindy's recipe direct from them, from "The World's Best Recipes" by Marvin Small. Since it is copyright 1955 by Marvin Small (First British edition published in 1961), I'm sure it's out of copyright (as well as out of print). The book is another of my secret treasures Perhaps the US version can be found in an out of print book store. I bought it in London in 1962, so the measurements are British. That means a pint is 20 fl. oz and not 16. The only ingredient for which this matters is 1/8 pint "double cream", which would be about 3 fl oz US. Double cream is what we call "heavy cream" in the US. Here's the original: "Makes 1-9 inch cake. 2-1/2 pounds cream cheese. 14 ounces sugar 3 tbsp flour 1-1/2 tsp grated orange rind 1-1/2 tsp grated lemon rind pn of vanilla bean (inside pulp) or 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 5 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/8 pint double cream 1. Combine cheese, sugar, flour, grated orange and lemon rind and vanilla. Beat in electric mixer at second speed. 2. Add sugar gradually, then remainder of ingredients in order given. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, stirring lightly after each addition. 3. Stir in cream. Biscuit Mixture: 6 oz. sifted plain flour 2 oz. sugar 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 1/4 tsp vanilla 1 egg yolk (or two if dough is crumbly on kneading--DS note) 2 ounces butter, melted. 1. Combine flour, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla. Make a well in centre and add egg yolk and butter. Work together quickly with hands until well blended. 2. Wrap in waxed paper and chill thoroughly in refrigerator about 1 hour. 3. Roll out 1/8 inch thick and place over oiled bgottom of a 9-inch spring form cake tin. Trim off the dough by running a rolling pin over sharp edge. 4. Bake in hot oven (400 F) 20 minutes or until a light gold. Cool. 5. Butter sides of cake form and place over base. Roll remaining dough 1/8-inch thick and cut to fit the sides of the oiled band. 6. Fill form with cheese mixture. 7. Bake in very hot oven (550 F) 12 to 15 minujtes. Reduce temperature to slow (200 F) and continue baking one hour. Cool before cutting.
