Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter

Filling:
- 4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in melted butter until moistened. Pour mixture into a 9 inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the side of the pan (1 inch). Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Filling:
Cream the sugar, cream cheese (at room temperature) and flour with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. On medium low, add eggs one at a time. Mix well after each egg is added. On low speed, add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla until just combined.

Pour into room temperature crust. Bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. (Take the cheesecake out of the oven before the center looks done. The center will continue to cook a little while after it is taken out of the oven.) Let cool completely to room temperature.

Refrigerate overnight. The cheesecake needs plenty of time to firm up.

Top with your favorite topping or not...your choice.


*This was my first attempt at making a cheesecake. My 13 year old nephew LOVES cheesecake, his exact words "it's just like a restaurants, but only better." In fact he ate more than the rest of us. The top of the cheesecake did crack but I think that is pretty common and didn't take away from the taste. This recipe comes from Bakerella's site. Yum.

Tracie