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. Place cookie sheet on bottom rack, below spring form pan, to catch drippings. 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 (optional), 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!