Smooth Vanilla Cheesecake

I've always loved the smooth creamy taste of a baked cheesecake .. . .

I've experimented with many different methods and I've found the secret.

No cracks. . . not a one.

It is one of the easiest and classiest desserts to serve.

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake

• Preheat oven to 325

Roughly cut a piece of parchment paper to fit larger than a 9 inch spring form pan. Lay the parchment paper on to the bottom and put the edge around and squeeze the pan shut leaving the excess paper on the outside of the pan. I do this because it makes it really easy to transfer onto a serving plate once it is very well chilled. .

• 1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together the crumbs and the butter and press into the pan. I use a flat bottomed glass to make it nice and smooth and firmly pressed.

Bake the crumbs in the pan for about 10 minutes or until they are a bit fragrant.

Filling

• 4 packages cream cheese. . . total 2 pounds .. . . room temperature
• 5 farm fresh eggs
• 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a squeeze fresh lemon juice. . maybe a couple of teaspoons

Topping

• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make sure that all your ingredients are room temperature.

Preheat oven to 500 F

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low for a minute or two until it is smooth and creamy.

Add the salt and the sugar and beat another minute or two until it is smooth. Never beat the cheese to death. Incorporating too much air will cause your cheesecake to rise and then fall and the .. .well you know what happened to humpty dumpty.

Stop your mixer in between to scrape down the sides so that all the cream cheese and sugar is evenly mixed.

Add the flour and mix until incorporated. . .not more than a minute. Now. . you don't really absolutely need flour but it helps to bind the custard. . .and keep the cheesecake stable.

Now. . .the eggs should be cracked into a bowl and at room temperature. Add one egg at a time. . they'll naturally slip in one at a time if you don't dump your bowl to quickly.

Mix the eggs in just until smooth. Add the cream and and the vanilla and lemon juice. . .another mix for half a minute.

Take your pan with the cooled crumb crust and wrap it in heavy aluminum foil. It doesn't need to be anything fancy .. .sometimes the fat will ooze a bit and the foil also helps to insulate the pan a bit. (well that's why I do it)

Now. . .

Gently pour the cheesecake batter into your pan and set it in the 500 degree oven. Set your timer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes turn your oven to 200 degrees. Bake for another hour and 10 minutes. Don't peek.

While the cheesecake is baking, stir together your sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

After the hour and ten, the cake should be fairly set. . open up the oven and pour your topping (which really is optional but I love it) on your cake smooth it out and put it back in your oven for another 10 minutes.

Put an instant read thermometer in the center of the cheesecake. Your aim is to have it read 150.

The total baking time shouldn't be more than about an hour and a half up to an hour and forty minutes but you really need the instant read thermometer to help you with knowing when it is done. The jiggly in the center is also a good judge but it is hard to get it perfect with this test. I hate to say the exact time because every oven is a wee bit different. . you need the thermometer .. .150

Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit in a draft free room temperature spot for a few hours and then chill it completely in the fridge.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2-3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar or to taste
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all this and cover and put in the microwave for a minute, stir and cook for another minute or two until bubbly.

I also made some raspberry coulis which is 2 cups of raspberries and a half cup of sugar in the blender. .

Pool a little raspberry sauce on your plate, put on your cheesecake and cover with a good tablespoon or two of blueberry sauce. . .and a dollop of whipped cream for good measure.

Have ONE piece. . .and share the rest. ( that is my heart healthy tip)