Crust Ingredients:

1 whole + 1 /2  sleeve of graham crackers, crushed 

2 oz. or 1/2 stick of butter, melted

4 Tbsp. Granulated White Sugar

 

Method of Preparation (M.O.P.)

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1) Preheat your oven to 350°F.

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2) Prepare an 8" round cheesecake pan with removable bottom by lightly spraying it with

     non-stick cooking spray along the bottom only and then wrap aluminum foil around the       outside of the cheesecake pan.

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3) Place your graham crackers, and sugar into a food processor and pulse till you get sandy

     crumbs.  Add in the melted butter and pulse just until the butter and pulverized graham

     crackers create the look of "wet sand". You can tell when it is when incorporated when

     you take a small handful of the crumbs and it sticks together like a clump of wet sand.

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4) Press the graham cracker mixture onto the bottom part of your cheesecake pan until

     level. Bake in the oven till golden about 15-20 mins. depending on your oven.

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5) While your crust is baking... make the cheesecake filling. Lower the temperature of the           oven to 300°F.

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Cheesecake Ingredients:

 

(Chef's Note: It is very important that your ingredients are all at room temperature. Starting from cold ingredients will produce an unwanted chunky consistency. Room temperature ingredients will allow for a smooth and creamy cheesecake.)

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2 - 8 ounce packages of Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup of White Granulated Sugar

1 cup of Sour Cream, at room temperature

2 Eggs at room temperature

2 Vanilla Bean pods, scraped of its caviar seeds

1/2 cup of Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon of Salt

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M.O.P.:

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1) In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar till light and

    fluffy.

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2) Add in your sour cream until fully incorporated.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of

     the bowl.

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3) Add in the eggs one at a time allowing each egg to get fully incorporated before adding in

     the next.

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4) Add in both the vanilla bean pods, salt and heavy cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of

     the bowl to be sure that all of the ingredients are getting fully incorporated and no

     chunks are left behind. Cream till smooth.

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5) Pour the batter into the cheesecake pan on top of your pre-baked crust.

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6) On the bottom rack of the oven, place a 9" x 13" pan filled half way with hot water.

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7) Place the cheesecake pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake the cheesecake at

    300°F. Check your cheesecake after an hour. If it jiggles a lot in the middle, then bake an

    additional 15 mins. If it still jiggles a good amount, bake an additional 5 more mins till

    only a small slight jiggle remains in the very center of the cheesecake. Turn off the oven

    and leave the door closed till the oven has completely cooled to room temperature. The

    heat of the oven will continue to carry over cook the cheesecake fully without over-baking

    it. (This is a chef's secret to cheesecake that won't crack on the top. Even if it does crack a

    little, don't worry about it as you will top it with blueberry compote later.) DO NOT BE

    TEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR OF THE OVEN. Once the oven is completely cooled,

    remove the cheesecake and place in the fridge overnight or at least 6-8 hours till

    completely chilled.

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8) While the cheesecake is cooling in the fridge make your blueberry compote...

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Blueberry Compote Ingredients:

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1 1/2 cups of fresh Blueberries

1/2 cup of Granulated White Sugar

1 Lemon, zested and juiced

1/4 cup of Blueberry Liqueur such as Drillaud

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 cup of Blueberry Juice or Cranberry-Blueberry Juice

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1) In a medium saucepan add all of your ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a

    boil.

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2) Once boiling, gently smash the berries with a potato masher or you can use a handheld

     burr blender. 

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3) Reduce the heat to medium and allow to cook stirring occasionally till the mixture has

     thickened. You'll know it is ready when it becomes Nappé. (In French cooking

     terminology it means to "coat the back of a spoon".)

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4) Remove from the heat and allow to fully cool at room temperature. Then place in the

     fridge to fully cool. ( I like to place the pan cover over the compote so you don't get a skin

     to form on the top of the blueberry mixture) and place the whole pan in the fridge to chill

     down.)

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5) Once the compote and the cheesecake are fully chilled, I will top the blueberry compote

     on the cheesecake.

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6) To remove the cheesecake from the pan, you will want to get a medium sized can of soup

     or whatever can of vegetable you have in your cupboard. Place the can underneath the

     bottom of the cheesecake base and gently press the top rim of the cheesecake downward

     to release the fully chilled cheesecake from the sides of the pan. The cheesecake pan rim

     will fall to the bottom. You will have your aluminum cheesecake pan bottom left with the

     cheesecake on top. Just use a very flat thinned spatula to remove the cheesecake pan

     bottom from the cheesecake graham cracker bottom. Once the cheesecake is removed

     from the pan bottom, place your cheesecake on a serving platter or cake board. Cut and

     Enjoy!

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7) Buon Appettito!

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