Nigella Lawson New York Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Crush the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix. Press onto base of greased 24cm springform cake tin. Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Mix the cornflour with the sugar and beat in the cream cheese, egg yolks and vanilla extract with an electric mixer (or by hand).
• Slowly pour in heavy cream and sour cream, beating constantly. Add the lemon zest.
• Clean and dry your whisk. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt to stiff peaks, then fold into the cheese mixture carefully.
• Scoop cheese onto base. Bake in a 170°C oven 1 to 1 1/2 hours without opening the oven door until golden brown on top. Turn off the heat and let the cake stand in the oven for two more hours. Open door, stand a further hour. Then chill it in the refirgerator for a few hours.
• Serve chilled, dusted with icing sugar and decorated with berries.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the base, process the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.
• Put a kettle on to boil.
• Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter.
• Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.
• Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.
• Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.
• To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate.

Steps:

• To make the base, process the graham cracker crumbs, butter and cocoa powder in a food processor until it makes damp, clumping crumbs. Tip them into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese to soften it, and then add the sugar and custard powder, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks and the sour cream. Finally, add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate and mix to make a smooth batter.
• Take the springform pan out of the freezer and line the outside of the pan with a good layer of plastic wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath. Sit the springform pan in a roasting pan and pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Fill the roasting pan with the just-boiled water from the kettle to come about halfway up the cake pan, and bake in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.
• Peel away the foil and plastic wrap and sit the cheesecake in its pan on a rack to cool. Put in the fridge once it is no longer hot and leave to set, covered with plastic, overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.
• To make the glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and corn syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take it off the heat and whisk until smooth. Let it cool a little, then Jackson Pollock it over the cheesecake. Use the remaining glaze as an accompanying sauce.

Steps:

• Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the sugar and butter and whiz again to make the mixture clump. If using graham cracker crumbs, you can use a bowl and wooden spoon to mix the butter in, with the sugar added.
• Press this mixture into a 8-inch springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.
• Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.
• Lightly whip the cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
• Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula, put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, un-mold and spread the black cherry spread over the top.

Steps:

• Prepare cheesecake base: Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor. Process until they are almost fine crumbs. Add dark brown sugar and butter. Process until mixture clumps together like damp sand. Press mixture evenly into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate while preparing filling.
• Prepare filling: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil. Peel and cut flesh from mangoes and purée in food processor until smooth. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add superfine sugar, and with motor running, add eggs one at a time through the processor's feed tube. Add lime juice, and process until blended.
• Place springform pan on a double layer of strong foil. Crimp edges up around pan to make a waterproof nest. Place foil-covered pan in a deep roasting pan. Scrape filling into pan and pour boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of cake pan.
• Bake until filling is set and wobbles slightly in the center (it will continue to cook as it cools), about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Discard foil and place pan on a cooling rack. When cool, refrigerate overnight. To serve, remove from pan and place on a serving platter before slicing.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform tin with baking parchment and stand it on a baking sheet. Melt the butter and stir in the biscuit crumbs. Press the mix into the base of the tin, then bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and raise the temperature to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.
• For the filling, beat the soft cheese just until smooth with an electric hand mixer on low speed. Gradually add the sugar, also on a low speed, then the cornflour without overbeating. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Slowly whisk in the lemon zest and juice, the vanilla, then the eggs. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then finally whiskin the fromage frais. The mixture should be smooth and quite runny.
• Pour the filling over the crumb base. Jiggle the tin to level the mix and squash surface bubbles with the back of a teaspoon. Bake for 10 mins, then lower the heat to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Bake another 25 mins and, if you are using an electric oven, leave the oven door slightly ajar for the first 3 mins. After the 25 mins, shake the tin and there should be a wobble in the centre of the filling. If left until firmer it is more likely to crack later. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and leave the cake in for 2 hrs. Open the door, loosen the top edges of the cake with a round bladed knife, then leave in the oven to cool gently for another 1-1½ hrs.
• Meanwhile, put the sugar for the topping in a small pan with 3 tbsp water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then let it bubble for 1-2 mins to make a thin syrup. Tip in the blueberries, gently stir and cook for about 1 min, just to slightly burst the fruit and release the purple juices. Stir in the lime zest, then leave to cool.
• Spread the fromage frais over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Cover with foil and chill for at least 4 hrs (or overnight). Remove from the fridge 1 hr before serving, loosen the sides of the cheesecake completely, remove from the tin, then slide onto a plate, peeling off the paper as you do. Slice with a sharp knife and serve each wedge topped with a spoonful of syrupy blueberries.