MOM’S CREAM CHEESECAKE

By Lutie

This is by far, the best cheesecake ever! My Mom won first prize in a Chicago Tribune contest with this recipe, sometime in the 1950’s.

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 2 - 8 oz. packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (can use one light cream cheese - will not set if both are light) softened
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla
• Pinch of Salt

Preparation

Step 1

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sugar, then eggs, vanilla and salt.

CRUST
Melt 6 Tbs. butter in small pan, add 1-1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs, and ¼ cup sugar. Reserve 2 tsps. of mixture to sprinkle on top of cake. Pat crumb mixture into a 9” springform pan, on bottom and up sides. Don’t press too hard - don’t press too soft, or crust will crumble. (Don’t worry, I have done both - just takes practice).

Add cream cheese filling.

IMPORTANT: Set the springform pan on a cookie sheet or line outside of pan with aluminum foil. The butter from the crust may leak during cooking. This saves your oven.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool on rack for about 5 minutes.

TOPPING:
Spread ½ pint of sour cream carefully over top of cake and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 7 more minutes.