Recipe: Sour Cream Cheesecake

Out in the wilds of Marin County (well...wild to us city dwellers...) two women have set up a very special shop showcasing the stunning products that are made locally in west Marin County. Peggy Smith, former chef in at Chez Panisse, and Sue Conley, who previously owned and operated Bette's Oceanview Diner on 4th Street in Berkely, have combined their talents to open Tomales Bay Foods and the Cowgirl Creamery.

At the Cowgirl Creamery, you'll often find Sue creating a batch of their ultra-creamy cottage cheese that will literally change the way you think of cottage cheese! I am personally addicted to their quark, which is a cultured, spreadable nonfat cheese and it has ended cream cheeses' long-standing reign as the spead of choice on my obligatory morning bagel. The Cowgirl Creamery uses only organic dairy products from nearby Straus Creamery.

If you're lucky enough to visit the Creamery, across the hall Peggy Smith has set up the kind of country store that you always wish you'd find when driving through the country, but never do. Wooden crates overflow with fresh produce everywhere, from prickly artichokes to tiny just-unearthed potatoes, most of this produce finds its way into the great food that's made practically to order. On my last visit, I had a wedge of warm caramelized onion galette, a baguette with a thick slab of house-made chicken liver terrine (it was heaven!), and for dessert, a dixie cup of blood orange sorbet. Everything is prepared from scratch each day and the small, but thoughtful selection of bottles of wine available make for a perfect hassle-free picnic out on the pictureque lawn by the garden.

Last winter I taught a class with Peggy Smith at Sur La Table in San Francisco. The class was great fun, especially since I hadn't worked with Peggy since we both cooked together at Chez Panisse. For dessert, I made a Quark Cheesecake which everyone loved. I realize that not everyone can find quark in their area (even though it's the most popular cheese in Germany, some of us American's haven't quite caught on....yet) you can use sour cream or fromage blanc. See the note at the end of the recipe for a substitution tip.

Sour Cream Cheesecake
one 9 1/2 inch cake

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 crackers)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 

For the cheesecake:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups sour cream

1. For the crust, lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and adjust the rack to the lower part of the oven.

3. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and the melted butter until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs into a flat layer in the bottom of the spring form pan. (You can use the flat bottom of a glass to get an it even.)

4. Bake the crust for 9 minutes until golden brown. Set the pan aside on a cooling rack while you prepare the batter. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees.

5. For the cheesecake, mix the cream cheese and the sugar until there are no lumps.

6. Add the vanilla and lemon zest.

7. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until completely.

8. Stir in the sour cream.

9. Pour the batter over the crust in the pan. Set the pan into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and pour warm water until it reaches about one-third of the way up the side of the pan.

10. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 55 minutes, until the cake is still very jiggly, but in a semi-solid mass. Do not overbake.

11. Cool the cake on a wire rack until room temperature, the refrigerate in the spring form pan at least 3 hours until thoroughly chilled.

To serve, run a thin, sharp knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the spring form, then cut slices with a sharp knife dipped in warm water.

(Don't be tempted to cool a warm cheesecake in the refrigerator since the condensation can cause the cake to be soggy. )

Note: If using Quark, a nonfat cream cheese, the baking time will need to be reduced to 35-40 minutes.

If quark is not smooth, press it through a medium strainer to get rid of any lumps.