The Cheesecake You Mail Home for Christmas

A proper New York cheesecake is dense, just barely sweet, and built around a cup of sour cream that gives it the tang nothing else can. It bakes long and slow in a water bath, cools overnight in the fridge, and ships across the country in a flat-rate box if you wrap it right.

Use a 9 inch springform pan and wrap the bottom twice in heavy duty foil before you place it in a roasting pan with an inch of hot water. The water keeps the oven moist and the surface from cracking. Bake at 325 F for 75 minutes, then turn the oven off and crack the door for another hour. The center will still jiggle. That is correct.

Refrigerate at least 12 hours before slicing. To ship, freeze the whole cake solid, then wrap in plastic and foil, place in an insulated mailer with three frozen ice packs, and overnight it. Your aunt will call you the day it arrives. Probably crying.