{This recipe is mostly for my sweet M. who requested this very cheesecake for her 17th birthday today – xoxo}
I readily admit that I am a cheesecake snob. I had NY-style cheesecake in NYC way back in 1990 and haven’t been able to eat anything less since. While there are lots of cheesecake recipes out there, this one is seriously the best!
Note: you need a springform pan.
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (buy the pre-crushed – it’s the right consistency)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (1/4c for the crust & 1c for the batter)
- 3 blocks of cream cheese, softened (8oz each, full fat)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs
Preheat oven to 325*
Leave the cream cheese out on the counter for an hour or so to soften. Conversely, you could nuke it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter and press into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides about an inch or two. I like the crust to be thick 🙂 Set aside.
Mix the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until really smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix more. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing each until combined. When all are well mixed, pour the batter into the springform pan. It will probably fill above your graham cracker crust – that’s ok.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour & 10 minutes – you want the center to be *almost* set, but still a teeny bit jiggly. Turn the oven off and crack the door about 3 inches. Wait 30 minutes. Open the door all the way and wait 30 more minutes. Finally, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely on the counter.
When your amazing cheesecake is completely cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Note:
If you opt for an Oreo version, use pre-crushed Oreo crumbs or REMOVE the white filling first. Your mom found this out the hard last night and her oven paid the price. Live & learn – xoxo