Authentic Pagliacci's New York Style Cheesecake

I've had food on the brain - you may have noticed.  Here's another recipe that I have to share because it is a truly decadent and authentic cheesecake.

Five eggs, five packages of cream cheese.  It doesn't get more indulgent than this.  This is my favourite type of cheesecake, and the recipe is from one of my favourite restaurants.

   Victoria, BC, was our home for five years.  A wonderful city, in a beautiful part of the country.   Pagliacci's still holds a special place in my memories, and I vow to make it back there one day.   Some places just stay with you, and this place was meant to, with it's excellent Italian food, great atmosphere, and amazing dessert menu.

Their New York Style Cheesecake was my usual choice, and one day while eating there I noticed an article posted on the wall beside me, printed in Bon Appetit magazine, listing the recipe for the very cheesecake I was eating.  I copied it onto a napkin with a lip pencil from my purse, transferred it to a recipe card when I got home, and I've been making it ever since.

Pagliacci's New York Style Cheesecake

Crust 

1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs (it's also good with vanilla wafer crumbs) 

¼ cup sugar 

¼ cup butter , softened 

Filling

40 ounces cream cheese (5 pkg), room temperature 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 ¾ cups sugar 

3 tablespoons flour 

¼ teaspoon salt 

5 eggs, room temperature 

2 egg yolks 

¼ cup whipping cream 

Directions:

Mix crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter and press into a 10" spring form pan. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Preheat oven to 500ºF. 

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer in large bowl until very smooth. Blend in lemon juice and vanilla. Sift sugar, flour and salt together and gradually beat into cheese. Beat until creamy, smooth and light, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time. Blend in cream. Pour into crust. 

Bake 12 minutes. 

Reduce oven temperature to 200ºF. Continue baking until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. The original recipe said for 45 minutes but I find that it takes longer. 

Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Cool cake completely and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

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