New York Cheesecake

Our easy take on the Big Apple favorite, rich and creamy New York Cheesecake, is inspired by the famous mile-high version you can still find at the Carnegie Deli in New York City.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 (18-ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
    
2. Line bottom of prepared pan with half of the cookie dough slices; with your fingers, spread dough to create a solid crust. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool.
    
3. Press remaining dough slices around sides of pan to create a side crust; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F.
    
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients until well combined. Spoon batter into crust and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 30 more minutes.
    
5. Remove cheesecake from oven; let cool 4 to 5 hours at room temperature. Remove springform pan ring; cover, and chill at least 6 hours before serving.
    

We thank our friends at the Carnegie Deli in New York City for opening their bakery to us for our show, and sharing their classic cheesecake recipe.