Peach Cheesecake

A lightly sweetened cheesecake with plenty of fresh peaches.

Chill the cheesecake overnight, then serve.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• 145g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

• 30g (2 1/2 tbsp) sugar

• 1 large egg

• 90g (6 1/2 tbsp) butter, softened

Peach Filling

• 3 lbs sliced peaches

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Cheesecake

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened

• 50g (1/4 cup) sugar

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

• 165g (3/4 cup) peach filling

• 60g (1/4 cup) sour cream

Instructions

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Add the flour and sugar to a bowl. Mix them, then add the egg and butter and mix until the flour begins to clump.

3. Press the dough into the prepared pan so that it covers the bottom and about 1/2 inch on the sides.

4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and let it cool while you make the rest of the cheesecake.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Filling

1. Combine the peaches, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.

2. Bring the peaches to a gentle simmer, cooking until the slices begin to break down.

3. While stirring, add the cornstarch dissolved in water, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

4. Puree 165g (3/4 cup) of the peach filling to use in the cheesecake. Set it aside.

5. Strain the remaining peaches and reserve the liquid.

Cheesecake

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

2. Combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch. With the mixer running on medium-low, slowly add the sugar mixture and beat until smooth.

3. With the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time blending just until the yolk disappears before adding the next. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again. Don’t over-beat.

4. Fold in the peach puree and sour cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the mixture is well combined.

5. Pour half of the filling into the baked crust. Gently distribute three-fourths of the peach filling over the cheesecake filling.

6. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling over the peach layer. (Reserve the remaining peaches to be added later.)

7. Place the pan inside a roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

8. Bake at 325°F for 80 minutes. Carefully spoon the remaining peaches over the top of the cheesecake and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Turn off the oven and prop the door open slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the hot water bath in the oven for 1 hour. Leave the cheesecake in the pan and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

10. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Drizzle the cheesecake with the reserved peach filling liquid and serve.