Adapted from BeehiveCheese.com
Concocting the perfect cheesecake takes special attention to detail. This Teahive cheese is actually rubbed with Earl Grey tea; with a dash of cardamom, this recipe lifts that old New York staple to a richer flavor.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 5 ounces shortbread cookies, broken
- 3 ounces (2/3 cup) shelled unsalted pistachios
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup finely grated TeaHive cheese
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 pounds (six 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose fl our
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon finely ground Earl Grey tea
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. (You should have 1 cup.)
- Process with pistachios, sugar, and cheese, until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and process until mixture holds together.
- Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Bake until golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and flour.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add sugar mixture to cream cheese; mix until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla and cardamom; mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined; do not overmix.
- Pour cream cheese filling into prepared pan. Set pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of springform pan.
- Bake 45 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Continue baking until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 30 minutes more.
- Turn off oven; leave cake in oven with door slightly ajar, 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool completely. Sprinkle top of cake with tea powder. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Before unmolding, run a knife around the edge of the cake.
