Have you ever wondered what your favorite dessert is? I mean your REAL FAVORITE! Is it hard to pick just one? Yeah, I know what you mean. I always thought Chocolate Cake was mine. And then for a while it was Apple Pie. And PB Ice Cream has always been high on the list (Remember Dorie’s Chocolate Banded Torte? But I have to say, that after half a century + of eating desserts in different countries of the world, I think I have to say my favorite (well, for now….) has to be (drumroll……..)

C.H.E.E.S.E.C.A.K.E

Cream Cheese and sugar. How can you beat that! But what kind of Cheese Cake? There are so many different types and flavors. With Crust. Without Crust. What’s a baker to do? Only one thing a baker can do — try all of them. I have made Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, Strawberry, Strawberry Swirl, Chocolate Swirl, Plain. New York style. Graham Cracker Crust, Sponge Cake Crust, Shortbread Crust, Oreo Cookie Crust. Yup!!! Tried them all.
Recipes from Alton,
Emeril,
Marthaamong many others.

Then, one day a new cookbook came in the mail and my recipe dilemma was resolved.

I had finally found MY recipe. Junior’s is located in Brooklyn and their Cheese Cakes are well known in many parts of the states. They are wonderful. And so many to choose from. And different crusts rather than the usual graham cracker crust. So many choices. So many POUNDS!!!!! The sacrifices we make for cooking science. Hee Hee!!!!

Junior’s Original New York Cheese Cake
courtesy of

    Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook

    4 8-ounce full fat cream cheese, at room temp
    1 2/3 cups sugar
    1/4 cup corn starch
    1 Tbl pure vanilla extract
    2 extra large eggs
    3/4 cup heavy cream

Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Beat in the cream just until blended.
Be careful not to over mix! Gently spoon into 9-inch spring form pan. Wrap pan bottom and sides in foil and place in water bath with 1 inch of water coming up the sides of the pan.
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from water bath and cool in wire rack for 2 hours. Don’t move it once it is on the rack. Leave cake in pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight (which ever you can handle….) EAT!!!

I only made one change. I did not put a crust under the cheese cake. Junior’s has several possibilities, but we prefer no crust. Guess it goes back to our Low-Carb days.

Now about that favorite snack……