Tartine Cheesecake with Oat Cookie Crust

This is out of this world good! Smooth, with a light texture, slight lemon tang, and a crust made from the GF Oat Digestives.

Left top and bottom, Cheesecake In Space, photomontage by Liz Prueitt. Right top and bottom, slice of cheesecake topped with vanilla creme fraiche, serrved with macerated nectarines

I grew up in Brooklyn, and I remember watching the moon landing in ‘69 so clearly. I can recall every detail of where I was sitting (cross-legged on the brown and gold shag rug in my bedroom overlooking Grand Army Plaza) and how enthralling it was. It was early evening, which meant I could still catch “I Dream of Jeannie,” top of my mom’s list of most-hated shows that rankled her feminist ideals.

I can easily conflate the moon landing memory with one of my fondest food memories from that time—going to Juniors for cheesecake, which is what I did for my 5th grade graduation with my best friend Naomi. Juniors reigned over all others for their cheesecake in the ‘60s. My favorite was the sour cherry, and it was considered the New York-style cheesecake—a bit heavier, and if you pulled a piece off with a fork, it broke off like a glacier and was a little dry (yet airy and creamy, too).

Clearly, I’m a cheesecake equal opportunist. I love every one out there: Italian ricotta cheesecakes, eastern European ones made with a drier farmer’s cheese, and Basque cheesecakes that are burnt on top and are almost liquid inside. But this cheesecake is my ne plus ultra—slightly lemony, smooth, and just set on the inside. Tartine baker Alexa Prendergast developed this one with me for Tartine: Revisited, and she nailed it —it’s totally out-of-this-world delicious. The Oat Digestives happen to make the perfect cookie crumb base.

RECIPE

yields one 9- or 10-inch cake, 12 to 14 servings

Preheat oven to 350ºf. Prepare your springform pan by encasing the outside in two or three layers of aluminum foil (it goes into a water bath and this will prevent the crust from becoming soggy from a leak). Check that there are no spots where water can get in. Set aside.

Digestive Cookie Crust

• 1/2 recipe baked Digestive Oat Cookie recipe (or 150g / 1.5 cups of your preferred cookie crumbs)

• 3 Tbs sugar

• 4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

• 1⁄4 tsp kosher salt

Process the baked cookies into crumbs using a food processor or blender; alternatively, crush in a plastic bag and roll with a pin to fine crumbs. Mix with sugar, melted butter, and salt. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, lined with parchment in the bottom. Use a flat-bottomed cup to press the bottom firmly in place. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling

• 900g/ (4) 8-ounce packs of cream cheese, warm room temp, cut into cubes

• 250g / 1 1/4 C granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 2 Tbs lemon juice

• 4 eggs, large

• 2 egg yolks

• 320g / 1 1/3 C creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 325ºf. Have a baking pan ready that will accommodate your prepared springform/water bath. Put water on to boil for the water bath.

Beat the cream cheese in a stand or handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar and salt and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, zest, and lemon juice and beat until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed and add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing between each addition until smooth. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides and mix again if necessary. Don’t mix on high; you don’t want to incorporate air into the mixture. Stir the creme fraiche to smooth it out, and add it to the cream cheese mixture and gently mix til smooth.

Transfer the batter to the baked and cooled cookie base, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Place it into the pan you set aside for the water bath, transfer to the oven, and with the rack pulled out as far as is safe, pour water into your larger pan. The water should reach halfway up the cheesecake pan. Carefully slide the rack into the oven and bake for one hour. Test for doneness by giving the pan a little jiggle; the sides will be set, and the center will still be a little wobbly. If it is still too loose and wobbly, put it back in the oven and check every 10 minutes. Cool in the pan for an hour. Remove the springform from the water bath and cool for another hour. At this point the cheese cake will still have a slight jiggle in the center.

Creme Fraiche Topping

• 360g / 1 1/2 C creme fraiche (or sour cream)

• 3 Tbs confectioners sugar, sifted

• 1⁄2 vanilla bean split and scraped or vanilla bean paste

To make the topping, mix all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spread on top of the cheesecake and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate. Chill for 4 hours or overnight. The slow chilling process helps prevent cracks in the surface.

To serve, release the cake from the pan by running a small knife around the edge. Transfer to a serving plate using a wide spatula or the bottom of a 2-piece tart pan (or leave on the springform base).

The cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.