New York Style Cheesecake

New York Style Cheesecake
Original recipe by Emeril Lagasse (adapted by Frank Hays)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar and mix well. Press onto bottom of springform pan and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, zests and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.

Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream and mix until smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour more.

Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate cake overnight before serving.

To serve, slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a clean cloth, and serve.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings