Ingredients
For crust:
- 3 1/2 oz graham crackers, crumbled (1cup)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For filling:
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 oz envelope, will be just about half of envelope)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dulce de leche (12 1/2 oz) (recipe follows)
For glaze:
- 3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Directions
- Make crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of foil (crisscrossed), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
- Finely grind graham crackers with sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor or blender. With motor running, add butter, blending until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.
- Make filling: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, then stir in dulce de leche gently but thoroughly. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top, then bake in a hot water bath in oven until center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.
- Glaze within 2 hours of serving: Heat all glaze ingredients in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to coat top evenly. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.
- Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut. (Don’t skip this step! A clean knife is essential for uber-neat squares.)
Note: Cheesecake (without glaze) can be chilled up to 3 days.
Dulce de Leche (Milk Caramel):
- Pour 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan; cover. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until thick and light caramel-colored.
- Remove from heat. Whisk until smooth.
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.