Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk

For the crust:

  • 12 whole graham cracker rectangles (6 ounces)
  • 5 tablespoons (salted) butter

Equipment

  • small mason jars (about 16)
  • Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Instructions

Preheat the oven and warm the cream cheese: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Take the blocks of cream cheese out of their boxes and let them warm on the counter while you prepare the crust, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the water bath: Set up a sous vide circulator in a large pot at 176 degrees F.

Prepare the crust: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or in a bag using a rolling pin) until they form fine crumbs — you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop and mix this into the graham cracker crumbs. The mixture should look like wet sand and hold together in a clump when you press it in your fist. If not, add extra tablespoons of water (one a time) until the mixture holds together. Transfer it to the mason jars (about 1 cm to 1/2 inch thickness) and press down.

Bake the crust: Place the mason jars on a rimmed cookie sheet and in the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is fragrant and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing the filling.

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt: Combine the warmed cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer). Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy, like thick frosting, and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Scrape down the beater and the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla: Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Mix in the eggs and yolk one at a time: With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Wait until the previous egg is just barely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. At first, the mixture will look clumpy and broken, but it will come together as the eggs are worked in.

Stir a few times by hand: Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Stir the whole batter a few times by hand, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl, to make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and silky. Don’t worry if you see a few specks of un-mixed cream cheese here and there; they will melt into the batter during baking and won’t affect the finished cheesecake.

Pour the batter over the cooled crust: Check to make sure the crust and the sides of the pan are cool — if they’re cool enough to comfortably touch, you can go on. Distribute evenly among all of the mason jars and smooth tops with a spoon or spatula.

Transfer the jars to the water bath and process for 2 hours.

Remove jars from water bath and let cool.

Chill the cheesecake for at least four hours in the refrigerator.

Sources

Cheesecake Recipe: The Kitchn

Method: Lifehacker