Bill’s Cheesecake

My desire to have a “signature” dish and my enjoyment of cheesecake led me to this recipe.  I had experimented and tried several recipes before coming across this one – a modification of a chocolate cheesecake.  The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly and included the chocolate but found that to be too rich.  Subsequently, I have made the recipe using graham cracker crumbs instead of chocolate wafer crumbs for the crust.

The original recipe called for chocolate curls (garnish) and whipped cream cheese rosettes, which you can add if you wish, but it’s creamy enough already.  – Bill

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

• 5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1¾ cups sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ cup heavy cream
  

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°. 

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and the 1 tablespoon sugar in small bowl.  Press evenly over bottom and sides of spring form pan. Refrigerate.

Beat together cream cheese, 1¾ cups sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time, until mixture is well blended.  Stir heavy cream into batter. Pour batter into pan. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 200° F and bake for 1 hour more.

Turn off oven.  Leave cake in unopened oven 1 hour. Open oven door, leave cake in oven 30 minutes more. 

Cool on wire rack to room temperature.  (This cheesecake may crack on top.)  Refrigerate overnight.  Serves 10-12.