authentic lindy s famous new york cheesecake
for the pastry , place the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor for 5 seconds
add the butter , egg yolk , water , and vanilla and pulse until the mixture looks granular and lumpy
the butter should be in about 1 / 4-inch pieces
add the flour and pulse rapidly 20 to 30 times , stopping occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl , until the mixture almost gathers into a ball
turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press the dough into a 1-inch-thick cake
wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour
adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
butter a 9-inch springform pan
detach the sides
set aside
cut off slightly less than one half of the dough
break it into pieces , and scatter them over the springform bottom
press firmly and evenly with your finger
set the bottom crust in the oven and bake until pale golden brown , about 8 minutes
remove from the oven with a wide metal spatula and set on a cooling rack to cool completely
in- crease the oven temperature to 525 degrees
shape the remaining pastry into a square
roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle slightly larger than 10x6-inches
with a large sharp knife , trim away the edges so that the pastry measures 10x6-inches
cut the pastry crosswise into five 2-inch strips
reassemble the springform pan
line the sides of the pan with 4 of the pastry strips , pressing the pieces firmly together where their edges meet and pressing the pastry firmly against the pan so that it will stay in place
cut what you need from the last strip to fill in the last gap
refrigerate while you prepare the filling
for the filling , beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth
add the sugar , flour , salt , zests , and vanilla and beat until smooth , 2 to 3 minutes
beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time , beating only until thoroughly incorporated , about 15 seconds after each
beat for another 30 seconds
on low speed , beat in the heavy cream
scrape the mixture into the pan and smooth the top
bake for 10 minutes , then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer
the top will be golden brown
cool to room temperature on a rack
cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 6 hours
overnight is best
for the strawberry sauce , if the strawberries are small , reserve 1 cup of the prettiest ones
if they are large , slice enough to make 1 cup
set aside
place the remaining berries in a medium saucepan and crush with a potato masher
add the sugar , water , salt , and cornstarch
stir well with a heat- proof rubber spatula , and bring to a boil over medium heat , stirring constantly
reduce the heat to low and continue cooking , stirring constantly , for 2 minutes , or until the sauce is slightly thickened
remove from the heat and add the butter , lemon juice , and reserved berries
cool to room temperature , then refrigerate until chilled
to serve , run a small sharp knife around the edges of the cake to release the pastry and carefully remove the sides of the pan
rinse a knife in hot water , shake off the excess water , and slice
serve each portion with a spoonful of the strawberry sauce
refrigerate leftovers