New York Cheesecake

 

1

cup all-purpose flour*

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4

cup sugar

1

large egg yolk

5

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 3/4

cups sugar

3

tablespoons all-purpose flour*

1

tablespoon grated orange peel, if desired

1

tablespoon grated lemon peel, if desired

1/4

teaspoon salt

5

large eggs

2

large egg yolks

1

cup whipping (heavy) cream

1/3

cup slivered almonds, toasted, or fresh fruit, if desired

• 1 Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening; remove bottom. In medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients with fork until dough forms; gather into a ball. Press one-third of the dough evenly on bottom of pan. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Assemble bottom and side of pan; secure side. Press remaining dough 2 inches up side of pan.
• 2 Heat oven to 475°F.
• 3 In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, the orange peel, lemon peel and salt with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the whipping cream on low speed until well blended. Pour into crust.
• 4 Bake 15 minutes.
• 5 Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake 1 hour longer. Cheesecake may not appear to be done, but if a small area in the center seems soft, it will become firm as cheesecake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack away from drafts 30 minutes.
• 6 Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of cheesecake to loosen. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
• 7 Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen again. Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve. In chilled small bowl, beat remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Spread whipped cream over top of cheesecake. Decorate with almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.