Cold, sun/clouds and a classic New York cheesecake recipe

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have sun and an expected high of 28°F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight we'll have clear skies with a low of 12°F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 25%, the Dew Point is -17°F and the outdoor temp is 10.8°F.

The wind direction is   West Northwest between 2.5 MPH and 4.9 MPH, generating a wind chill of 10.8°F.

The Relative pressure is 29.48, the Absolute pressure is 29.28 and steady with a weather graphic indicating clouds/sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 6:44 a.m. Sunset is 6:50 p.m., Moonrise is 8:05 a.m., Moonset is 9:14 p.m. and the moon phase is waxing crescent being 14% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta's airport are:

METAR KAUG 191053Z AUTO 29005KT 10SM CLR M12/M21 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP093 T11221211

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.

Space weather for today is:

Today's Solar flux is 69, the solar wind speed is 518  Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

Now that opening day for baseball season is rapidly approaching, I wanted those New York Yankee fans (misguided as they may be) to have a recipe directly credited to New York City. Pin-stripe lovers, enjoy.

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.