Old-Fashioned Cheesecake

Wayne first made this recipe in 1988, long before the days of this blog! So when Michelle requested "just an ordinary cheesecake" (I guess she wasn't quite in the mood for Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake), this is the one we had. I put off her request for several weeks because I figured it would be expensive and time-consuming. I was wrong, and it won't be years before we have cheesecake again!

Company Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups graham crack crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

19 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Combine cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter and press into bottom of a 9 springform pan. (Note: my choice was 8 1/2" or 9 1/2" - I went with the 9 1/2". Next time I'll try the smaller one, because this was kind of a short cheesecake.) Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until fluffy. Add lemon peel and vanilla. Then beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour mixture over crust. Bake about 45 minutes at 300°. (Note: the original recipe said to bake for 60 minutes; that was too long.) Cool to room temperature.

Spread with sour cream and chill for at least 3 hours. Remove side of pan before serving. Serves 12.

Variations: Top with cherry pie filling or strawberry glaze instead of sour cream. (Note: we chose to top it with hot fudge sauce this time, and with melted raspberry jam another. With 12 servings, we had it for dessert a few different times. It freezes well!)

Here's a recipe for Raspberry Sauce (unstrained) or Raspberry Coulis (strained). Basically combine a bit of cornstarch with some sugar. Stir in a little bit of water, then raspberries and/or strawberries. Bring to a boil a cook until thick. Add a touch of lemon juice. If desired, press through a fine sieve.