What's my favorite dessert? New York cheesecake. Easy. If you've never had a homemade cheesecake, I'm sorry to say that you're missing out. For starters, the filling is so rich and creamy. If you are one who thinks cheesecakes are too sweet, the tartness of this sour cream topping chimes in exactly when you want it. And the hand-crushed graham cracker crust retains a delicate crisp after it's chilled. You can't even get close to this with a mass-produced cheesecake! I used a tart tin with a removable base instead of the traditional round springform pan. The result is really quite wonderful!
New York Cheesecake
Source: adapted from The Recipe Encyclopedia, by Family Circle Staff
Ingredients
For the crust:
* 1 ¼ c graham crackers, crushed (A ceramic cup against a large plastic bowl works well)
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/3 c butter
For the filling:
* 16 oz cream cheese
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* ¾ c sugar
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
* 4 eggs
For the topping:
* 1 c sour cream
* ½ tsp vanilla extract
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
* Place crushed graham crackers in a bowl, and add 1 teaspoon of mixed spice.
* Melt 1/3 cup butter and add to the crushed crackers, mixing until all the crumbs are moistened.
* Press cookie crumbs over base and sides of a 14x4” tart tin or 8” round springform pan.
* Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using electric beaters, beat 1 lb cream cheese until smooth.
* Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Beat until smooth.
* Add 4 whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
* Pour mixture into chilled cookie base, bake for 45 minutes or until cheesecake is just firm to touch.
* For the topping: Put sour cream in a bowl and add vanilla extract, sugar and lemon juice. Beat well.
* Spread over the hot cheesecake, sprinkle with nutmeg and return cheesecake to the oven for 7 minutes. Cool in the oven and then refrigerate. Serve chilled.
