Cheesecake

Some of my favorite recipes are printed on the packages of items I have purchased.

It only makes sense that the recipe should be good;  the manufacturer of the item that you purchased wants to give you a good reason to buy the product.  They don't want to give you a nasty recipe that makes you gag.......chances would  be good that as I'm gagging I'm thinking, "never buying this again!"

Of all the recipes I've taken off of packages, my all-time favorite is New York Cheesecake from Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

I've been making cheesecake using this recipe for almost 20 years.  After all these years, you can still find it printed on the package.  It's printed on the multi-packs sold at warehouse clubs.  It makes sense that it would be printed on the multi-packs because you need five 8-oz packages to make this cheesecake.  Yes, 40 ounces of cheese.  It's not for sissies, that's for sure.

Philadelphia New York Cheesecake

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 5 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 (19 oz) can pie filling (pick your favorite!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (for silver 9-inch spring form pan.  Heat to 300 degrees for dark non-stick spring form pan).

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.

The mixture will be dry.  Don't worry.

Press mixture into the bottom of your 9-inch spring form pan.  I use the back of a spoon to press it evenly into the pan.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

While the crust bakes, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the sour cream and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended.

The low speed is important; you don't want to whip the eggs and add extra air which will make your cheesecake puff and crack.

My cheesecake cracks anyway.  I don't know why.

One more tip:  crack your eggs into a cup or small bowl and then add them to the batter.  Once upon a time, I used to crack my eggs directly into the mixing bowl.  Then one time, the whole egg slipped out of my hand and into the mixing bowl.  While the mixer was mixing.  And it proceeded to mix the egg, shell and all, into the batter.

Since then, I've taken the precaution of making sure the egg was cracked and shell-free before adding it to the mixing bowl.

For the record, I threw away the batter with the egg shell in it.  I don't think I could have explained the crunchiness.

By now, your graham cracker crust should be just about finished baking.  Take your creamy batter.....

And pour it over the crust.

Bake for one hour and 10 minutes.  The middle should be almost set, but still kind of jiggly.

Run a knife around the edges, to loosen it from the pan.  Allow the cake to cool before refrigerating it;  you should refrigerate it at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.

This cake hasn't cracked yet, but it will.

As usual, it cracked.

But that's okay, the topping will hide a multitude of sins.

Remove the cake from the pan.  Release the hinge on the side of the spring form pan and remove the side.

Then I run a very large knife around the bottom and lift the cake up and place it on a serving platter.

Or in this case, to a Tupperware cake-carrier because I will be transporting it elsewhere.

Open up your can of pie filling.  I am using strawberry for this cake, but I've also used raspberry, cherry, and blueberry.  They all work well!

Spread the topping on the cheesecake.  The crack is no longer a problem!

Mmmm.