Our Favorite Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 lbs cream cheese (at room temp)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 450°f.
• 2 combine graham cracker crumbs and 2 tbs sugar in a bowl.
• 3 add butter and stir until moistened.
• 4 press mixture into the bottom and sides of a -inch springform pan to form crust.
• 5 place in freezer until ready to fill.
• 6 in large bowl, beat cream cheese with hand mixer until creamy.
• 7 add sugar a little at a time until creamy.
• 8 beat in eggs one at a time.
• 9 beat in cornstarch.
• 10 beat in vanilla, almond extract, and lemon juice.
• 11 beat in sour cream.
• 12 pour into chilled pie crust.
• 13 place a shallow pan of water about 1/2 inch deep on bottom oven rack.
• 14 place cheesecake on rack above water.
• 15 bake 12 minutes.
• 16 without opening door, lower heat to 250 degrees.
• 17 let bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until center is set.
• 18 turn off oven and leave oven door ajar for 1 hour.
• 19 remove cake from oven and bring to room temperature
• 20 fridge overnight.
• 21 you can top the cake with canned pie filling before chilling, or you can serve the plain cheesecake with a choice of chilled, canned pie fillings served on the side.