Serious Eats
Cheesecakes Gone Wild
Ed recently wrote about the best cheesecakes in New York, and while I completely agree with his classic picks (I've been known to visit both Monteleone's–Cammereri's and Monte's Venetian Room in one go), I think it's also important to acknowledge the more innovative, unconventional takes on the city's signature dessert. After all, while they may defy tradition, who can resist versions like pumpkin mousse, Black Forest, and banana fudge?
Those are just three of the 50 recipes that can be found in the Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook
The photo-filled volume is broken down into chapters like "Celebration Cheesecakes," "We Love Chocolate!" and "Skyscraper Cheesecakes" (would you like a layer of Boston cream with that?) and also includes a special "Cheesecake 101" section that I found particularly helpful. It offers tips on everything from water baths to perfect slicing, and has a three-page table titled "If Your Cheesecake Is Not Perfect," which outlines problems (cracks, fallen centers), probable causes, and solutions.
The recipes range in difficulty from homey and simple (Strawberry Swirl and Cappuccino) to all-day-in-the-kitchen showstoppers (Tiramisu and Key Lime Mousse). And for those times when baking a whole, huge cheesecake seems like a bit too much, there are eight recipes for "Little Fellas"—miniature cheesecakes prepared in muffin tins.
So even if you live hundreds of miles from "Cheesecake Corner" (the official name of the intersection of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues in downtown Brooklyn and the home of the original Junior's restaurant), you can still savor the sinful, creamy, if not quite classic flavors of New York's most famously outrageous desserts, "all you want, as you want."
Recipe: Junior's Apple Caramel Cheesecake
About the author: Lucy Baker is a graduate student in the writing program at Sarah Lawrence College. Before returning to school to pursue an MFA, she was an assistant cookbook editor at HarperCollins. She lives in Brooklyn and is currently obsessed with all things fennel.