Saturday, August 18, 2012

Cheesecake

Cheesecake
The other day, my daughter came home from work asking me if I would consider making a cheesecake for dessert.  Instantly, I thought of a recipe that was recently posted by Holly over at Life as a Lofthouse.  In fact, I had printed this recipe and added it to my "recipes to make one day" folder.

Personally, I love cheesecake plain, so I skipped out on the strawberry topping and had no regrets.

The verdict? I am going to have to agree with Holly when she said Tyler Florence's recipe was AMAZING!

TIP:  Use a mini chopper to get finely crushed crackers.
INGREDIENTS (via Life as a Lofthouse):
Crust:
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
dash of vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon zest


Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray.

Pour crumbs into the pan, and using the bottom of a measuring cup or smooth bottom of a glass cup, press crumbs into the bottom and 1-inch up along sides. Refrigerate crust while you prepare the filling.

For filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for one minute, or until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly just until combined. Do not overmix! Gradually, add in sugar and beat until creamy. (About 1 minute)

Add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. Periodically, scrape down sides of bowl and beaters. The batter should be well-mixed, but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-filled pan and smooth top with a spatula.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake!) The center will still be slightly jiggly. (It will firm up while it chills) Let cool for 30 minutes, and then loosely cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hours. Carefully loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan with a thin spatula or knife, and then carefully remove sides of pan.

Serve with Strawberry Topping, if desired.




13 comments:

  1. Ilove this recipe..this looks soo beatifull..I will give you a tip too..if you cook the cheesecake benmari style..ıt will be more beatifull..you can see in my blog. love nurşen..

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  2. Yum! Graham cracker crusts are awesome. I like that you added lemon zest - it always makes things taste fresh. I love a good cheesecake and this seems simple enough to make.

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  3. My daughter likes plain cheesecakes best of all, too....yours looks fantastic!

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  4. mmm there is nothing like a beautiful cheesecake with a graham cracker crust! looks smooth and luscious and wonderful.

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  5. I could eat cheesecake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I will make it when my husband will be gone on business trip :D

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  6. I love cheesecake! Plain or fancy, I'll take it! This looks great! Tyler Florence recipes are always a hit!

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  7. Lovely instructions and the end results are perfection!

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  8. Cheesecakes are my all-time favorite dessert, one I can count on being pretty perfect all the time. And if it does get a crack, that's when a bit of topping comes in handy!

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  9. Dear Ellen, Cheesecake is a family favorite. Whenever the whole family gets together cheesecake is a must! I love that you used sour cream in yours. I am sure this is absolutely delicious! Beautiful crust too. Blessings my dear, your friend, Catherine xo

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  10. Oh yum! This looks like it could rival my mother in laws! :) Thanks for sharing!

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  11. i havent made a cheesecake in ages, yours look perfect!

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  12. Outstanding recipe! I will add this to my "To Do" folder! It looks PERFECT and delicious!

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  13. I love cheesecake! Your recipes are so easy to follow too!

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