Bake A Cheesecake

I love cheesecake.

My favorite cheesecake variety is a New York Cheesecake topped with chocolate or fruit (particulary strawberries).

When planning my Thanksgiving Dinner I decided to serve cheesecake for dessert.  Not only would I be able to eat one of my favorite desserts, but I would also be able to knock an item off my life list.

Cheesecake is not the quickest dessert to make if you are faced with a time crunch, but it definitely is one of the most delicious.

Everyone that tried my cheesecake loved it, and the beauty about cheesecake is that you can freeze the leftovers to have happy seconds a few days or weeks down the road.

My cheesecake recipe.....

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INGREDIENTS

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
oreo cookie crumbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.  Top with your favorite topping before serving (I used oreo crumbs).

Serves: 12

Date Accomplished: November 23rd, 2006