Lindy’s New York Cheesecake Recipe

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Lindy’s New York Cheesecake has a dense, creamy filling with just a touch of citrus. The pastry crust really sets this cheesecake above the rest. It’s perfect for special occasions and a holiday dessert.

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What Makes a Lindy’s Cheesecake So Good?

First off, it is cheesecake, and who doesn’t love a good cheesecake? Second, it is New York Style Cheesecake, arguably the best version of cheesecake. But Lindy’s Cheesecake is so good because its unique crust doesn’t contain a single graham cracker.

How To Make Cheesecake Crust Without Graham Crackers

Although most recipes for New York-style cheesecakes today call for a graham cracker crust or other cookie crumb crust, they were originally made with a shortcrust. Shortcrust is just four ingredients: a four-to-one ratio of flour to fat, a pinch of salt, and just enough cold water to bring everything together.

This version of shortcrust is similar to a classic Pate Sablee since it contains egg yolk and sugar.

Ingredients For Lindy’s Famous New York Cheesecake

To make the crust egg yolk crust, you’ll need:

All-purpose flour
Egg yolk
Butter
Sugar
Lemon zest
Vanilla extract

For a homemade New York cheesecake, you’ll need:

Cream cheese
Sugar
All-purpose flour
Lemon zest
Orange zest
Vanilla extract
Eggs
Heavy cream

How to Make New York Cheesecake

How To Make a Classic New York Cheesecake

To prepare the dough for the crust:

Combine the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, cut the fat into the flour using a pastry blender or the tines of a fork directly in a large mixing bowl.
Pulse until the flour mixture reaches the consistency of wet sand.
Transfer the flour mixture into a large bowl.
Stir together the egg yolk, vanilla extract, sugar, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
Pour the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture.
Use your hands to squeeze the dough together, but don’t work the dough too much.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for about an hour. Allowing the pastry to rest in the fridge helps to relax the gluten and produces a more tender crust.

To prebake the bottom crust:

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut off a third. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic and set it aside.
Roll the dough into a 9-inch circle. You can remove the sides of a springform pan and use the base as a template.
Place the dough circle on the base of a springform pan and bake without the sides until the crust is golden brown–about 8 minutes.

To finish the crust:

While the bottom of the crust is baking, divide the remaining dough into three equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a two-inch-wide strip that is about 10 inches long.
Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool on the base.
When the base is cool, reattach the sides of the springform pan and lay the strips of dough on the inside of the walls of the springform pan, so they slightly overlap the base and form a complete circle.
Trim the side crust to three-quarters of an inch and remove any excessive overlap.
Place the springform pan into the fridge.

To make the cheesecake filling:

Add the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, orange zest, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer bowl.

Beat the cheese mixture on HIGH speed with a flat beater until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Lower the electric mixer speed to medium, and add the eggs and yolks one at a time.
Pour in the heavy cream. Mix until just combined.

To finish the cheesecake:

Preheat the oven to 400°F
Take the springform pan out of the fridge and pour in the filling.
Jiggle the pan slightly to level the filling and break up any bubbles.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 250°F.
Bake for 30 minutes more.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool
Once cool, remove the sides of the springform pan.
Cover the top of the cheesecake with plastic wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least three hours (overnight is better) before serving.

How To Serve a Homemade Baked New York Cheesecake

Always keep the cheesecake covered in a pie box or lightly wrapped in plastic to prevent it from drying.

To cut the cheesecake:

Run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe dry.
Place the tip of the blade at the center of the cheesecake and slice down in a single smooth motion towards the edge.
Rinse the knife off under hot water and wipe dry.
Rotate the cheesecake to finish slicing it in half.
Repeat the steps to cut the cake into quarters.
Slice each quarter in half to end up with eight even wedges.

Use a pie server to lift each slice from the bottom and serve.

What To Serve With a New York Cheesecake

Fresh or macerated strawberries or blueberries are high on the list, but there are other options. Whipped cream and chocolate chips? Sure. Lemon curd or Nutella? Why not? Really, anything goes great with the mild sweetness and slight tang of this recipe.

How Long Does a New York Cheesecake Last?

A properly wrapped and uncut cheesecake will last about a week in the fridge, but once you cut it, it will start to get crusty in about three to four days.

Can You Freeze Cheesecake With Pastry Crust?

Yes, you can freeze this classic New York cheesecake. The best method is to put the cheesecake onto a baking tray and put it uncovered in the freezer until it freezes solid.

Then you can wrap the cheesecake in aluminum foil without worrying about damaging it. Put the wrapped cheesecake in a plastic bag, and it will last up to a month in the freezer.

Thaw the cheesecake in the fridge overnight before serving.

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Favorite Holiday Desserts

Check out more of my easy dessert recipes and the best Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes here on CopyKat!