Created by Executive Chef Scott Kroener for Oak Steakhouse Nashville, the dessert was inspired by date nights with his wife early on in their relationship where he would order two desserts – both the crème brûlée and cheesecake. This got his chef wheels turning and he was determined to find a way to combine the two into one dish. He succeeded which resulted in a sweet treat with a synergistic flavor profile. The dish can also be modified to match the seasons, so this spring, for example, Chef Scott took the ripest, freshest blackberries available, made a compote, and then served it with a dollop of whipped cream.
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Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 pounds Melted butter
- 12 cups Graham cracker meal
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
- 3 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 10 ounces granulated sugar
- 11 ounces whole, pasteurized eggs
- 12 ounces sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces graham cracker crust
- ½ gallon water
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, ensuring all graham cracker meal is wet with butter.
Make the Cheesecake
- Mix the room temperature cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer with a paddle set on medium speed for 2½ minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Start the mixer and mix for 2½ minutes more on medium.
- Stop the mixer, change to low speed, and start the mixer. Mix for 1 minute while adding the eggs in slowly.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix for 2½ minutes on low. Stop the mixer and scrape all sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix on low for 2½ minutes.
- Wrap a sheet of aluminum foil around the bottom of the cheesecake pan and then set on a half sheet pan. Spray the inside, bottom, and sides with pan coating, and then lightly press the graham cracker crust evenly on the bottom. Fill the pan with the batter, it will be about 4 ¾ pounds per cake. Make sure to shake the pan to level the batter in the pan.
- Place in a 300°F double convection oven set on low fan and fill sheet pan with water. Bake for 40 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for an additional 40 minutes, or until just set and golden brown on top.
- Turn off the oven and open the doors and allow the cheesecake to rest for 15 minutes. Place cake in the refrigerator and chill to 70°F within 2 hours, and 40°F in 4 hours.
