Judith's Famous Cheese Cake!

Ok, so I'm not famous...unless you tweet my Famous Cheese Cake recipe!!

Delish!! It is that time of year to start baking again. On a chilly fall day, it is nice to warm up the home with the aroma of something special baking in the oven!!

Cheese Cake is my 'thing!' and I make it all sorts of ways. 

I have made this same recipe with homemade strawberry preserve topping, Comstock Cherry toppings, Graham Cracker crust, or added a variety of different things to the inside base such as: Oreos, chocolate chunks, white chocolate, the sky is the limit with imagination.

I am a busy mom (no kidding!?) and so sometimes it gets just a tad browner than it should have been. Have you ever made a cheese cake? If not, here is the recipe so you can get started:

I like a cheese cake baked in a 'spring form pan' best,
But...I have used a 9 X 13" pan when I did not own a spring form pan or when I wanted ease in cutting up pieces for church. This is prior to baking.

CRUST:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or Oreo cookies instead) 

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix well in small bowl with fork.

Press in bottom and sides of a spring form pan with back of spoon. Then freeze for about 15 minutes (for spreading ease).

*To be honest, I often forget to measure the crust ingredients (bad me!!) and instead I use 1 1/2 packages of Graham Crackers. We eat the other portion of the package (lol). This gives enough for the crust to go up the sides of the pan just a little. If using Oreos, I use most of the package giving each child about one cookie for a treat. Again, this allows the crust to go up the sides of the pan just a bit.

FILLING:

4 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In large bowl use electric mixer to beat cheese till light. Add eggs, sour cream, and other ingredients and continue beating until light and smooth. Pour into the crust that you have frozen for 15 minutes. It will be easy to pour the batter onto the crust because it is hard due to freezing. If it is still soft, it will want to move and clump up and roll wither it will. Bake at 400*F for 50 minutes or until lightly browned. Center of cake may be soft but will firm up when chilled. Either glaze or make topping. Spread topping over the cheese cake and return to oven for 5-10 minutes.

TOPPING:

(Keeping it real: In all the years that I have made this recipe, I only made the topping ONCE!!)

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE:

1 package (10 oz.) frozen fruit (or can of cherries)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoons lemon juice

Drain fruit, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. In small saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch, add 1/2 cup liquid. Stir until smooth. Boil 1 minute. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup fruit & lemon juice. Cool thoroughly before spreading.

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In Christ Alone,

~Judith~