The Beans Blog: Best Cheesecake EVER

Cheesecake...sooo yummy, but how to make it come out just right?? This recipe takes time (although almost all of the time is cooking and cooling), but the creamy, yumminess is OH SO worth it!

Step 1: Pound 1 3/4cup graham crackers into crumbs. I use a quart sized zip lock and a cup with a flat bottom.

Step 2: mix crumbs with 1/3 cup butter, melted, and 1/4 cup sugar (I used raw sugar so that's why it looks brown)

Step 3: press crumb mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan...I use the flat bottom glass

Let a little of the crumb mixture go up the side. Don't be a perfectionist with this :-)

Step 4: if you, like I never remember to get the cream cheese out of the fridge in time...soften in the microwave

Step 5: beat 3 - 8oz packages of softened cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar until well blended

Step 6: add 1 cup of sour cream

and 2 tsp (although I usually let a bit more splash in because I love it) of Vanilla and mix well. (this is your last chance to really blend things so don't be sigh about mixing)

Step 7: Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after eacch addition until JUST blended. DO NOT OVER BEAT!

Step 8: Pour into crust. Gently smooth mixture so that the crust is sealed in.

Step 9: Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for dark nonstick springform pan or 350 for silver...for1 hour or until center is almost set...this is key. It will keep cooking so make sure that the middle still jiggles a bit. (it took me a few goes before I really got the hang of how much jiggle was just right)

Step 10: After the baking, turn off the oven and open the door just a tad. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour with the oven off.

Step 11: After the addition hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let stand for one to two hours (I often make this at night and am in a hurry to get to bed so only let it sit one hour). Chill at least four hours.