Adele Zuerner’s cheesecake is a Carolina Eats recipe sweepstakes finalist
Cheesecake is a holiday favorite, and Adele Zuerner of Arden, NC shares her New York Style Cheesecake recipe in the Carolina Eats Holiday Traditions Recipe Sweepstakes presented by Ingles.
Four finalists were drawn at random from among the sweepstakes entries, with each finalist receiving a $250 Ingles gift card. The four also will be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize of four tickets to Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the Peace Center in Greenville.
A tried-and-true recipe, Zuerner has been making her New York Style Cheesecake for 35 years.
“It’s a good cheesecake, and it gets lots of requests every year,” she said. A distinct crust that includes ground shortbread and a lively filling make Zuerner’s cheesecake a holiday favorite.
New York Style Cheesecake
CRUST Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups ground shortbread (Adele suggests using Sandies shortbread cookies.)
- ¼ cup ground almonds
- 1/8 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
CRUST Directions:
- Using a 9” pan, cook 10 minutes at 350 degrees
- Transfer to rack, cool completely
CHEESECAKE Ingredients:
- 3 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (warm to room temp)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
CHEESECAKE Directions:
- Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth
- Add eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla
- Spoon over crust
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees
TOPPING Ingredients:
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
TOPPING Directions:
- Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla and blend
- Cover and refrigerate
- Spoon over top and cook cheesecake 5 minutes more
- Let cool, then refrigerate at least 24 hours, preferably 2 to 3 days.
STRAWBERRY GLAZE Ingredients:
- 1 quart medium strawberries
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 jar strawberry jelly
- ¼ cup Cointreau
- ¼ cup water
STRAWBERRY GLAZE Directions:
- Several hours before serving, wash and hull berries and let dry on a paper towel
- Combine a little jelly with cornstarch in a pan and mix well
- Add remaining jelly, Cointreau and water and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until thick and clear…about 5 minutes
- Cool to lukewarm stirring occasionally
- Arrange berries pointed end over top of the cake
- Spoon glaze over berries
- Return to refrigerator until glaze is set
