Easy and Delicious Cheesecake

Temperature: 350 F

Bake Time: 35-45 minutes

Tools: 2 mixing bowls, whisk/hand mixer/stand mixer, 8” spring form pan (ideal, not necessary) or pie plate of similar size, parchment paper, food processor (option) or freezer bag and rolling pin, deep baking sheet, aluminum foil, kitchen towel.

Servings: 8-12 servings

Total Time: approx. 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

16 oz (2 standard 8 oz packages) Cream Cheese, softened

½ cup Granulated sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste (or any other flavor)

Pinch Salt

1 ½ cup Graham Cracker or digestives or any cookie

4 Tablespoons Butter (or coconut oil), melted

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Make sure the cream cheese is soft and the butter is melted.

2. Either with a food processor or in a freezer bag using a rolling pin, turn the graham crackers into crumbs.

3. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter in a bowl. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the springform pan (or pie dish) and pour the crumb/butter mixture on top of the parchment paper and, using a fork or spoon or your fingertips (consider wearing nitrile gloves if you use your hands), covering the bottom of the pan, about 1/8/ of an inch thick.

4. Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.

5. While the crust is baking, combine the Cream Cheese, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla (Flavor) and salt into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed (2 max). Either way, mix the ingredients until you have a batter that is pourable and a uniform color.

6. While allowing the crust to cool for a minute, assemble the water bath for baking the cheesecake. This is the very important trick that will stop your cheesecake from cracking while baking. First, cover the bottom of the springform pan with foil. Then fold a kitchen towel so that it covers the bottom of the deep baking sheet (a jelly roll pan works best), and pour very hot/boiling water over the towel (the towel helps prevent spilling the very hot water).

7. Pour the batter into the pan, making sure it’s fairly even, and then place the pan onto the wet towel before placing into the oven, on the middle rack.

8. Bake for 35-45 minutes, testing at 35 to see if it is still “jiggly” in the center. But be careful to not over cook, which will lead to cracking and a dry cake.

9. Allow the cake to cool for 20-30 minutes and then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Making it a day ahead of your event/dinner/occasion is ideal, so it is thoroughly chilled.