Colder temps, sun and a classic cheesecake recipe

Good Morning Augusta

This morning we have sunshine shifting to a few afternoon clouds. High will reach 31°F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight we'll have clouds with a possibility of 1 to 3 inches of snow. Low will drop to 24°F. Winds will be SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 37%, the Dew Point is -2°F and the outdoor temp is 19.4°F.

The wind direction is   Southwest between 0.1 MPH and 0.2 MPH, generating a wind chill of 19.2°F.

The Relative pressure is 30.07, the Absolute pressure is 29.86 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 6:35 a.m. Sunset is 5:11 p.m., Moonrise is 7:38 a.m., Moonset is 7:07 p.m. and the moon phase is Waxing crescent being 3% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta's airport are:

            METAR KAUG 171153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M08/M17 A3035 RMK AO2 SLP283 T10831172 11056 21089 51049

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with clear skies.

We didn't receive any rain or snow here over the past 24 hours, but we did experience more snow melting.

Space weather for today is:

Today's Solar flux is 72, the solar wind speed is 487  Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is west

1%.

I have always heard that, bar none, the best cheesecakes come from New York City.  This was always countered by the distinguished representatives from places like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to name but a few.  My first offering of cheesecake appears below.  I've had this one and its real good.

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.

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking.