Perfectly Creamy Cheesecake

By augusj

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs (about nine 5x2 1/4 inch crackers)
• 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine, melted
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• Filling:
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 Eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1 tbsp Lemon zest
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 can ( 21 ounces) Cherry or Blueberry pie filling (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. For crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar until well blended. Press crumb mixture into bottom of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour at medium speed of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time; mix at low speed just until blended. Stir in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour filling into crust.

Bake 55-60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken (center will firm as it cools).

Remove from oven to cooling rack. Immediately run releasing tool around sides of cake to loosen from pan; cool completely.

Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Release collar from pan. To serve, top with pie filling, if desired. Cut into wedges.