Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 450
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 pounds cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbl cornstarch
- 1 cup sour cream
Preparation
Step 1
In a bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, butter and 2 Tbl of the sugar and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan. (That’s the pan with the removeable bottom and the round side opens and closes with a lever. Chill this in the freezer while preparing the batter.
In mixer bowl beat cream cheese and the rest of the sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla and cornstarch just until blended. Stir in sour cream. Pour mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to cool with the door open slightly for 3 hours. This prevents the cheesecake from cracking. I don’t do this…..I take it out and put it on the counter and when it cools a little bit, I open the sides and remove it from the pan to cool.
This recipe came from a package of Sunshine graham cracker crumbs. It took months and months and many different versions of cheesecakes to get the perfect recipe. In the early 80’s mom and the other part time police officers had to start going to training because the laws changed and they had to get the same training as full time officers. So she and Uncle Les and others would go to the classes in Woodbridge and then stop here on their way home. Every week I would make a new cheesecake recipe for them to try. I made caky cheesecakes and mushy cheesecakes and sometimes I would make two at a time and have them do a taste test. It got really freaky for a while but I had to find the perfect cheesecake. Finally one day mom got this brand of graham cracker crumbs so I wouldn’t have to grind the crackers down myself and there was a recipe on the back. I tried it and loved it! I’ve been making this recipe since probably 1985.