SOUR CREAM CHEESE CAKE

Jarrell replaced the dirt clods he always had for his Birthday with this Cheese Cake. I can't believe it!!

As usual, Alton Brown comes through again. If you follow this exactly. You will have a perfect cheese cake. I did use all 36 graham crackers, and bake 10 minutes longer.

The only problem I could find

with it, is that it looked like you bought it.

At 15...1 piece. At 19...the whole cake!

Ingredients

Crust:

• 33 graham crackers squares, crumbled coarsely
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted,
• plus additional, for brushing the pan
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

• 20 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 yolks
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 by 3-inch cake pan. Adhere parchment to the bottom and the sides.

In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Place remaining crumbs on a sheet pan and bake both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve additional crumb mixture for sides.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to medium. Scrape the bowl.

In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the cooled crust.

Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Place cheesecake into a preheated water bath, in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute. Close the door for one more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool before serving.

When ready to serve, place the entire cake pan into a hot water bath for about 15 seconds. Unmold onto a cake round or serving dish. Take the remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.

To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you make a pass through the cake.

Jarrell ask for this for his 15th birthday. He said it was the best he had ever eaten. I agree.!!

PUMPKIN CHEESE CAKE

This is Kate Lewis first cheese cake. She comes to my house to do a "run through" before making for her family. (Must be a government thing). It was obviously Christmas time.

1 CUP GRAHAM-CRACKER CRUMBS

2/3 CUP WHOLE ALMONDS, GROUND

3/4 tsp GROUND GINGER

6 TBS BUTTER, (3/4 STICK) MELTED

4 8-OUNCE PKG CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED

1 1/2 CUPS PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR

5 LARGE EGGS

2 LARGE EGG YOLKS

1 16OZ CAN SOLID-PACK PUMPKIN

1/4 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1/4 CUP BRANDY

1 1/4 tsp GROUND ALLSPICE

1/1/4 tsp GROUND CINNAMON

2 CUPS SOUR CREAM

2 tsp SUGAR

1. Early in day or day ahead: Preheat oven to 425*F. Mix graham crackers, almonds, ginger and butter. Press onto bottom of 10in spring form pan. Bake crust 10 min. Cool on wire rack.

2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese just until smooth; gradually beat in brown sugar. With mixer at low speed, beat in eggs, egg yolks, pumpkin, flour, brandy, allspice, and cinnamon just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

3. Pour cream-cheese mixture onto crust in pan. Bake 15 min. Turn oven to 275*F. Bake 1 hour longer.

4. In bowl, with spoon, mix sour cream and sugar. Remove cheesecake from oven. Spread sour-cream mixture evenly on top of cheesecake. Bake 5 to 10 min until sour cream topping is set. Cool cheesecake in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours or until well chilled.

5. To serve remove sides of spring form pan. Makes 20 servings.

November 1992 Ardeen Purdy (I think she found it) for Primo Deli

CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE

I have no idea where I found this recipe. When Lindsy and Harry were in college, they ate cheese cake at every fine restaurant we went to (that and French onion soup). I started learning to make Cheese cake. Because I prefer chocolate anything, this was my first mastery.

3 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese

1 14oz can Eagle Brand Milk

1 12oz pkg Chocolate Chips

4 Eggs

¼ c Cocoa 2 tsp Vanilla

Crust:

1/2 c Butter, melted

5 oz Graham Crackers, crushed

1/3 c Sugar

2 TBS. Cocoa

Mix together crust ingredients, and press into bottom of 9in spring form pan.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Eagle Brand milk. Mix. Melt chocolate chips. Add to bowl. Add eggs one at a time; mixing in between. Add vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour over crust.

Bake 1 hr 5min at 300*, or until center is set. Turn off oven and leave cheese cake in oven until cool. Refrigerate. To cut easily, freeze, and cut while frozen. Makes 14 pieces.