Cheesecake

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325F (160C).
• Prepare Graham Cracker crust first by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, brown sugar, and salt and stirring well. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• To make the crust: Crush cookies into crumbs using a food processor. Add sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add butter and mix together until combined; press into the bottom of prepared pan.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool while making the filling.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).
• Add sugar and stir again until creamy.
• Add yogurt, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
• With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.
• Add orange zest and combine together.
• Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper.
• Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don't over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.
• Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. Remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store.