From the telly to your belly, recreating recipes from television
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SKIP TO: RECIPE
Welcome to Gobblebox, our TV-inspired recipe series where we bring iconic dishes from the small screen straight to your kitchen. This week, we're diving fork-first into FRIENDS, and celebrating one of its most iconic (and unhinged) dessert moments, the totally irresistible Stolen New York Cheesecake shamelessly eaten off the hallway floor by Chandler and Rachel. Could that beeee any more awesome?!
If there's one show that had us laughing, crying, and craving a lot of takeout, it's Friends. Running for 10 seasons, with over 100 Emmy nominations and a viewership that peaked at 52.5 million(!) for the finale, Friends isn't just a TV show, it's a cultural phenomenon. This sitcom juggernaut brought us iconic one-liners, epic romances, and some seriously memorable meals.
From Monica’s Thanksgiving feasts, to Ross’s beloved "moist maker", to Rachel's meaty trifle, food plays a leading role in Friends. But there's one particular delicacy that quite literally steals the show, and that’s the cheesecake Chandler finds mysteriously delivered to the wrong apartment. A cheesecake so irresistible, he and Rachel steal it, and end up eating it off the floor. And honestly? Relatable.
This isn't just any old cheesecake, this is a New York style cheesecake, it's rich, it's baked, and it's unapologetically creamy. Pure full-bodied decadence with a tangy edge. The kind of dessert that makes you understand why Joey doesn't share food. Nothing says “guilty pleasure” quite like swiping a cake from your neighbour and diving in without remorse.
Fair warning: this recipe requires a bit of patience, as there is a lot of chilling time involved, but as with all things worth waiting for, the payoff is oh-so-sweet. Don’t be surprised if it mysteriously vanishes from your fridge... Some desserts are meant to be stolen.
If you haven't watched the video for this recipe yet, go check it out, as we walk you through the recipe step-by-step. It's the perfect pick-me-up for when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.
Until next time... keep your forks ready and your cheesecake guarded.
NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE
Features in Friends Season 7, Episode 11 "The One with All the Cheesecakes"
INGREDIENTS (serves 12)
Base:
150g plain digestive biscuits
75g unsalted butter
Filling:
900g full fat cream cheese
300g caster sugar
300ml soured cream
4 medium eggs
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp lemon juice
METHOD
For the Base:
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan.
In a food processor, blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are evenly coated.
Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake tin.
Press the buttery biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin to create a crust.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
To a large bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. For the smoothest finish, blitz with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternately, bring together with an electric whisk.
Add the remaining filling ingredients and blitz/whisk again until combined and smooth.
Brush the sides of the cake tin with a little melted butter. Wrap the outside of the tin with a large piece of foil to prevent the filling leaking out, or water leaking in.
Place the prepared tin into a large roasting tin.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the tin.
Carefully pour hot water into the roasting tin to create a water bath, filling to about 1 inch deep.
Bake the cheesecake for 55–65 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble.
Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the water bath inside the oven for 1½ hours to cool gradually.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath, and let it cool completely at room temperature, on a wire rack.
Once cooled, loosely cover the tin with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight to set.
To serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the tin, then gently release it from the springform.
Serve sliced on a plate, or whole on the floor.
