Name: Black Sesame Cheesecake
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 10 h
Yield: 1 9-inch cheesecake
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Ingredients: 255 grams graham crackers (9 ounces, ~half package); 1 tablespoon raw brown sugar; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (113g); 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds; 2 1/2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temp (566g); 163 grams sour cream, room temp; 2 large eggs, room temp; 100 grams granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10ml); 30-40 grams black sesame paste

Directions

Prep

Take out eggs, sour cream, and creamcheese 2 hours beforehand to bring to room temp.
Wash stand/hand mixer, food processor, and measuring cups you'l be using.
When ingredients are room temp, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Make the crust

Melt butter in microwave. Let sit a few mins to cool.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.

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Add raw sugar, salt, sesame seeds, and pulse just to combine.
Add butter and pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand.
Transfer mixture to springform pan and, using a measuring cup, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and 2 inch up the side of the pan.

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Bake crust until fragrant and edges just start to brown, 12-15 minutes.

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Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. DO NOT SKIP LETTING IT COOL TO ROOM TEMP!

Bake the cheesecake

Preheat oven to 325°F (160° C).
Mix cream cheese, granulated sugar, and salt with stand mixer until smooth.. Make sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything.

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Add vanilla extract and sour cream. Pulse into smooth.
Add black sesame paste and eggs. Pulse to combine.

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Scrape into the coolest crust and bake cheesecake until edges are set but the center is still jiggly, 35-40 minutes.

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Transfer on top of a wire rack (if you have) and let cool to room temperature. DO NOT SKIP LETTING IT COOL TO ROOM TEMP!
Chill until firm, at least 3 hours.
Bring to room temperature before serving.