Basic Cheesecake

Original recipe from Food Network.

Pictured: favorite cheesecake topped with broken blueberries.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe graham cracker pie crust
• 2 squares cream cheese, or 16 oz
• 3 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1/2 t lemon juice
• 1/4 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Press cracker crust into spring form pan. For a firmer crust, bake for an optional 10 minutes at 350.
2. Preheat oven to 275. 
3. Beat cream cheese in electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beat until smooth. Add sugar slowly. Beat until smooth. Add sour cream, juice, and vanilla, until well-mixed. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 80 min or until thermometer inserted reads 160. Let cool in oven to prevent cracking. 
5. Top with whatever you love: hot fruit topping, caramel pecan topping, broken berries, apple butter, freezer jam, any ice cream syrup, etc.

Try switching things up for valentine's day with a red velvet swirl cheesecake. Follow the above directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the batter when you pour the mixture into the pan. Melt 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, let cool, and mix with the reserved batter. Add 1-2 t red food coloring. Swirl the red batter into the upper cheesecake with a butter knife, or pour it on in a heart shape. Enjoy!

Also try making a reeses cheescake. Yum!