Brooklyn via Seattle (and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake)

October 2, 2011

Even though the calendar tells us it is Fall, here in Seattle we are still pretending it is mid-summer. We have green tomato plants in the garden (which we plead with every day to ripen before the frost comes), kids bikes on the sidewalk and flip flops kicked aside inside the front door. This is what happens when the sun really doesn’t shine much before late July, and then your Septembers are sunny and beautiful.

However I was inspired to get into the Fall spirit this weekend and bake something more autumnal then my usual lineup of berry pies. This recipe from the new Edible Brooklyn cookbook was calling my name – toasted pecans in the crust, brown sugar mingling with the cream cheese filling and a rich glaze of dulce de leche. I made it on a whim one afternoon, chilled it in the refrigerator overnight and the next day had it glazed and ready to serve in minutes. It’s amazing.

If, like me, you are sometimes challenged in finding dulce de leche you can do one of two things. Either follow David Lebovitz’s advice for making your own, or sub in a homemade or high-quality purchased caramel sauce (I recommend Fran’s).

Let me send out a special thank you to the nice people at Edible Brooklyn who sent me an advance copy of their new cookbook. It’s full of stories about special restaurants, farmers and ingredients from one of my favorite communities. Even though I live about as far as possible from Brooklyn while remaining in the same country, this book is a quick and welcome trip back to the borough.

Happy Fall!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

From Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook

Note: Dulce de Leche is a sweet caramelized milk sauce, and may be found canned in most markets with a decent Latin American section. Or you can order online from Amazon.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans, plus extra for garnish
• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Dulce de Leche, for drizzling

Instructions

• Make the crust: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, pour it into a bowl, and toss it together with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and 1/4 cup pecans.
• Press the mixture into a 9″ springform pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, until light brown. Allow the crust to cool.
• Make the filling: in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth (or use the paddle attachment of a standing mixer). Mix in the sugar and using a rubber spatula scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well to reduce the lumps in your batter.
• Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla, salt and heavy cream. Mix until everything is incorporated well. Pour the batter into the cooled crust.
• Prepare a water bath by filling a roasting pan halfway with warm water. Set the cheesecake into the water bath and cover the roasting pan with foil. Bake for about one hour. (To check the cheesecake for doneness, give the pan a little shake. A perfectly baked cheesecake will jiggle very slightly in the center.)
• Transfer the cheesecake to a rack to cool completely, then chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour before removing it from the pan. (Note: I like to leave in the fridge overnight at this point).
• Before serving, generously drizzle the cheesecake with dulce de leche and top with toasted pecans.

Serves 12-14

Filed under: Desserts

Tags: cakes