Cheesecake (baked in 9 x 13 dish)

This turned out to be a wonderful recipe and it's very easy if you have a sturdy mixer (even hand held would be fine). It does need to have some advance planning as the cream cheese must be at room temp (I put mine on the kitchen counter the night before I plan to use it) and it needs to chill at least four hours but believe me, the taste and texture is far superior the next day.

New York Style Cheesecake

• 1 Cup crushed graham crackers (about 6 grahams)*
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

• 4 or 5 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1 Cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional, original recipe did not include it)
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 can cherry pie filling (or other topping) **

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and melted butter, press firmly into bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake 10 minutes... set aside.

* I didn't have graham crackers but I did have a few premade graham cracker crusts I'd bought on sale over the Holidays. I just crushed the graham cracker crust from one of them and spread the crumbs over the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13 dish. I washed the aluminum foil pie plate they came in and stored it for another use. These crumbs worked fine and didn't require baking.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon extract (optional but adds a little extra flavor) with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low spread after each addition until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours but overnight is best. Store leftover cheesecake in frig.

Makes 16 servings, 1 inch each or about 8 large servings.

** Recipe calls for cherry pie filling on top but any fruit filling would work. My husband likes the cheesecake plain with chocolate sauce on top!

From: Food & Family magazine, Winter 2007