Why are people so amazed when you make one and put it in the oven?
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto bottom of 9 or 10-inch spring-form pan Bake 10 minutes.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and flour at medium speed until well blended.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.
5. Pour over crust. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn oven off and let cake sit in oven with the door propped open until oven has cooled.
6. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Rim can be removed when completely cooled.
7. I prefer this as is, but most people seem to like a topping. Choose as you will.
8. Substitute key lime for the lemon and leave out the vanilla, trust me.
9. Leave out lemon, divide filling in half and add melted chocolate to one half, stirring in to blend thoroughly. Pour the white half into pan, swirl the chocolate half on top and use a knife to mix the two. Marble cheesecake!
10. You get the idea, experiment!
