New York Persimmon Cheesecake
Submitted by llburke
New York-style persimmon cheesecake with a buttery shortcrust pastry, dense cream cheese filling swirled with persimmon puree, and an overnight chill. A seasonal showstopper for fall.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
10 hrsThis is a proper New York cheesecake with a seasonal twist: persimmon puree folded into the dense, rich filling gives it a honey-like sweetness and a warm, amber color that screams autumn.
The crust isn’t graham cracker. It’s a real shortcrust pastry: flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk, and cream, patted into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan. It’s blind-baked first so it stays crisp under all that heavy filling.
The two-temperature bake is critical. High heat first to set the exterior, then low and slow to cook the center without cracking. And whatever you do, do not open that oven door during the low-temperature bake. Temperature swings cause cracks.
Chef Tips
- Use ripe Hachiya persimmons for the puree. They should be completely soft, almost jelly-like. Unripe persimmons are astringent and will ruin the filling.
- Soften the cream cheese fully at room temperature. Cold cream cheese creates lumps that won’t beat out, and lumpy cheesecake filling never sets smoothly.
- Beat on low speed after adding the eggs. High speed whips in air bubbles that expand during baking and cause cracks on the surface.
- Refrigerate overnight, not just a few hours. The filling needs a full chill to set completely and develop its best texture.
Variations
- Top with a persimmon caramel sauce instead of whipped cream for a more intense fruit flavor.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a splash of bourbon to the filling for depth.
- Garnish with candied persimmon slices and a dusting of cinnamon.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine 1¼ cups flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine the egg yolk and whipping cream; add to flour mixture to make a stiff dough.
Pat into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Pat dough into ⅛ inch thickness.
Place it over the buttered bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Trim off and reserve any excess dough.
Pierce bottom of dough with a fork in 6 places.
Bake at 450F for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Butter the side of a springform pan and connect it to the cooled base.
Roll out the remaining dough ⅛ inch thick, press dough strips onto side of the pan and seal against the bottom crust.
Trim off any excess.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, and beat in sweetened condensed milk, flour, eggs and egg yolks, beating until blended after each addition.
Stir in persimmon puree.
Pour into the prepared crust and bake at 450F for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temp to 250F and continue baking an additional hour.
(DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR).
Place in refrigerator and refrigerate overnight.
Garnish with persimmon slices and whipped cream.
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