Creme Brulee Cheesecake

I heard that one of my readers found her creme brulee torch, so I thought it was definitely time to post this, my favorite cheesecake recipe EVER. For those of you who don't have a torch, never fear, it can be made using your oven broiler instead.

This cheesecake (my grandmother's recipe) is lighter and more custard-y than many cheesecakes. It also has quite a few less calories. Huzzah!

Crust:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 T. white sugar
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon

Melt butter and mix in dry ingredients. Grease springform pan and press crumb mixture onto bottom, and partly up sides. Set aside.

Filling:
1 lb. neufchatel (reduced calorie) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 c. whole milk
3 Tbsp. flour
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix cream cheese, sugar, salt and flour and beat very well. Add egg YOLKS, then milk and vanilla. When smooth, gently fold in beaten egg whites.

Turn on oven 5 minutes before baking at 325. Pour cheese mixture into crust. Bake 1 hour. * Leave in oven for one hour more WITH OVEN DOOR OPEN AND OVEN TURNED OFF.

Remove cake. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled.

Creme Brulee topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. water

Mix in small bowl to form slightly loose "paste." Spread over top of COLD cheesecake.

Torch: Use creme brulee torch to cook/harden the topping. If using a torch, you may choose to cut the cheesecake into slices, then cover the top AND sides of each slice, and then use the torch, creating a shell of (yum) sugar over the whole slice. Or you can do just the top.

Broiler: Turn oven to broil (high) but leave rack in middle position. Place cheesecake on middle rack and WATCH CAREFULLY until brown sugar mixture caramelizes. Remove from broiler and let sit one minute, until topping hardens, before carefully slicing. Serve with fresh berries.


* To prevent cheesecake from cracking, bake in a water bath: wrap the bottom of your springform pan in aluminum foil and place it in a larger pan with water in it, just halfway up the outside of the springform pan. This will allow the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly. Remove foil after completely chilled.