Foggy, warm and A New York Classic Cheesecake Recipe

Good Morning Augusta

This morning we have areas of thick fog, becoming sunny this afternoon. High 82 ºF. Winds will be light and variable.

Tonight we'll have mostly clear skies with a low of 59 ºF. Winds will remain light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 97%, the Dew Point is 63.1ºF and the outdoor temp is 64.1ºF.

The wind direction is  Southwest between 0.1 MPH and 0.2 MPH, with a heat index of 64ºF.

The Relative pressure is 30.00, the Absolute pressure is 29.79 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 6:19 a.m. Sunset is 6:47 P.M. Moon rise is 2:04 a.m., Moon set is 4:56 p.m., and the moon phase is waning crescent being 17% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta's airport are:

METAR KAUG 161053Z AUTO 20003KT 1/4SM FG VV002 17/17 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP210 T01670167

Visibility is 0.2 Miles / 0.4 kilometers with clouds above this thick fog somewhere.

 We didn't receive any rain here over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today's Solar flux is 83, the solar wind speed is 662 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 63%.

Yesterday's Boston Cream Pie/Cupcake posting to celebrate the Red Sox being 3 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the A.L. East spawned some comment.  So, in lieu of a crying towel for Yankees fans, I'm posting a New York Cheesecake recipe.

CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

For the crust:

o    1½ cups shortbread cookie crumbs, finely ground (6.75oz, 191g)

o    3 tablespoons butter, melted (1.5oz, 43g)

For the filling:

o    2 ½ pounds full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature (40oz, 1134g)

o    1 ½ cups granulated sugar (10.5oz, 298g)

o    ⅛ teaspoon salt

o    ⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature (2.5oz, 72g)

o    2 teaspoons lemon juice

o    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

o    6 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

Instructions

For the crust:

1.   Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.   Mix the cookie crumbs and the melted butter until well combined and moistened.

3.   Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Using a flat bottomed measuring cup, press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan,

4.   Bake on a lower-middle rack until golden brown around the edges and fragrant, about 13 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the filling:

1.   Make sure the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature for a silky smooth texture.

2.   Increase the oven to 500 degrees F.

3.   Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, salt, and one half of the sugar on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, until combined.

4.   Beat in remaining sugar and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the paddle and the bowl well.

5.   Add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the paddle and the bowl well.

6.   Add egg yolks and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the paddle and the bowl well.

7.   Add whole eggs, two at a time, and beat for about 30 seconds after each addition, scraping the paddle and the bowl after each addition.

8.   Strain filling in a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl.

9.   Tap bowl on the counter several times so that any large air bubbles come up.

10.               Brush the sides of the springform pan with butter and place on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pan and set aside for 10 minutes, allowing any air bubbles to rise to the top. Pop any unpopped bubbles with a fork.

11.               Bake in a 500 degree F oven, checking with an oven thermometer, for 10 minutes.

12.               Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees F and continue to bake until the center of the cheesecake registers 150 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours.

13.               Keep an eye on the oven thermometer to be sure the temperature is dropping to 200 degrees F. If it doesn't drop, crack the oven door open until the 200 degrees is reached.

14.               Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 2½-3 hours.

15.               Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firmly set, at least 6 hours.

To serve:

1.   Gently unmold cheesecake and remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and pan bottom. Gently slide cheesecake onto a serving platter. If the bottom of your pan has a small lip around it, it may be easier to leave the pan bottom under the cheesecake and place it on the serving plate.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking.

 

Eat up Yankees fans, but you're still behind us in the standings.