Riverside Cheesecake


Note: You may need to experiment with cooking time and temperature. I have this vague notion that the baking ovens at the Riv were convection ovens, which would have cooked much more quickly than the average home oven. I've adjusted the time/temp (after a really terrible first result) and I have had one successful cheesecake so far.


Makes one cheesecake – 8 slices – in 9” pie pan

Preheat oven to 350°

Crust

Ingredients

  • 1½ C. graham crackers
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 5 T. butter

Directions

  1. Crush the graham crackers.
  2. Melt the butter.
  3. Mix the grahams with the cinnamon and then add the melted butter.
  4. Press mixture into pie pans (ungreased). Use the smooth bottomed measure cup for pressing the mixture.
  5. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

Cheesecake filling

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Beat cream cheese in bowl until smooth and creamy, taking care to scrape the sides of the bowl often.
  2. Add honey and beat until smooth and fluffy (again, as always, taking care to scrape down the sides of the bowl).
  3. Add eggs and beat until smooth (don’t forget to scrape the bowl).
  4. Stir in the vanilla.
  5. Pour into the prepared pans and smooth the top (the filling should come to about 1/4 inch from the top of the pan).
  6. Bake for about 45 minutes or until just jelled in the center. (The sides will be slightly puffed up, but the top and crust should remain unbrowned.)
  7. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before putting the topping on.

Topping

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Beat the sour cream with a whip until smooth and creamy and then beat in the honey and the vanilla.
  2. Gently pour and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  3. Bake for 5 minutes (no longer).
  4. Remove the cheesecake from oven and refrigerate. The cheesecake needs at least four hours of refrigeration to allow the topping to firmly set up.
  5. Cut into 8 pcs.

If you’re interested, you can see the original draft version of this recipe.