Lindy's Cheesecake with Red Cherry Glaze, New York Style Cheesecake - Margaret Ullrich

Valentine's Day is coming up.  

Last year, around this time, I talked about Carmela's New Jersey Cheesecake.

Oy... 

That led to the Great Cheesecake Battle.

I know better now.

Never dis anybody's cheesecake.

But, in every genre, there is an icon.

In horror, there's Stephen King.

In cheesecake, there's Lindy's.

I know, nothing can compare with the Co-Op Refrigerator Cheesecake.

But, Lindy's has a certain mystique.

It conjures up Broadway, theater, glamor.

Here, for a night to remember, is the recipe for

                        LINDY'S CHEESECAKE

          

In a medium bowl combine

1 Cup sifted flour

1/4 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make a well in the center

Add

1 egg yolk

1/4 Cup soft butter

Mix, with fingertips, until dough cleans side of bowl.

Form into a ball.

Wrap in waxed paper.

Refrigerate about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400º

Grease the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.

Remove the side from the pan.

Roll 1/3 of the dough on bottom of springform pan;

trim edge of dough.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, divide the rest of the dough into 3 parts.

Roll each part into a strip 2 1/2 inches wide

and about 10 inches long.

Put together springform pan, with the baked crust on the bottom.

Fit dough strips to side of pan, joining ends to line inside completely.

Trim dough so it comes only 3/4 way up side of pan.

Refrigerate.

----

Preheat oven to 500º

Combine in a large bowl of electric mixer

5 (8 oz/250 g) packages of cream cheese

1 3/4 Cups sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat, at high speed, just to blend.

----

Beat in, one at a time

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

----

Add

1/4 Cup heavy cream

beat just until well combined.

Pour mixture into springform pan. 

Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce oven tempurature to 250º

Bake 1 hour longer.

Let cheesecake cool in pan on wire rack.

Glaze top with Red-Cherry Glaze.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

To serve:

Loosen pastry from side of pan with spatula.

Remove side of springform pan.

Cut cheesecake into wedges.

                        RED-CHERRY GLAZE

Drain and set aside

1 can (1 lb) sour red cherries, packed in water

  reserving 1/2 cup liquid

----

Combine in small saucepan

1/2 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Add

reserved cherry liquid

Stir until mixture is smooth.

Bring to boiling, stirring, over medium heat.

Boil 1 minute.

The mixture will be thickened and translucent.

Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

----

Add

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 drops red food color

reserved cherries

Cool thoroughly before spooning over cooled cheesecake.

Makes 2 cups glaze.

Serve with the Arts section of the New York Times.

Next week I'll cook up something from Ma and Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos.

I promise.