New York–Style Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Coulis

CRUST

• Graham Cracker Crust

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• 3 pkgs (each 8 oz/250 g) brick-style cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup sour cream (14%)
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk

MIXED BERRY COULIS

• Fresh berries for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, then set aside.
2. Press the graham cracker crust mixture evenly over the base and 3 inches up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until firm, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Leave the oven on.
3. For the cream cheese filling, in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Beat in the sour cream, flour, vanilla extract, and lemon juice just until combined.
5. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, in three additions, beating just until combined. Do not overmix. (Too much air in the batter can make the top of the cheesecake crack during baking.)
6. Pour the filling over the cooled crust, smoothing the top level.
7. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan and set the roasting pan on a baking sheet. Pull the oven rack partway out of the oven and put the roasting pan containing the cheesecake on the rack. Pour hot, not boiling, water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the springform pan. Carefully place the baking sheet and roasting pan into the oven.
8. Bake until the center jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the cheesecake registers 150°F, about 50 minutes.
9. Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and put it on a wire rack. Cover the pan with a cold baking sheet and let stand for 5 minutes.
10. Remove the baking sheet and carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Replace the baking sheet on top of the pan and let the cheesecake cool on the rack for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature.
11. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving. (The undecorated cheesecake can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.)
12. Just before serving, release the sides of the springform pan and slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve with the mixed berry coulis. Garnish with fresh berries (if using).