1 Gram Cracker Crust (store
bought or homemade)
• 4 8oz Block of Cream Cheese
at room temperature. (any
brand will work.)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Pure Almond Extract
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 4 large Eggs at room
temperatur1/8 tsp Salt
If you are making a homemade
crust.
• 2 cups Crushed Gram Cracker;
I like to use the Cinnamon
Gram Crackers myself.
• 6 tbsp Butter melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 325ᵒF

You will need a light-colored spring pan, and yes the color of the spring pan does matter!

Whether you are using a homemade or store-bought crust, line the bottom of the Light-colored Springform pan with the crushed-up store bought or your homemade crust mix and press down all around and set aside.

My one and only pet peeve about making cheesecake is unwrapping room temp cream cheese, I HATE IT! I know, there is a 1000 things that anyone could find annoying or strenuous when it comes to cooking, and I will endure them all without question or complaint. But unwrapping room temp cream
cheese is the worst!

So, what I do is, I unwrap all my cream cheese blocks while they are cold and let them get to room temp in my stand mixer bowl, and just cover it with plastic wrap till I’m ready to start making my cheesecake.

In a medium size bowl with a stand mixer on medium speed with a whisk attachment, beat room temp cream cheese till smooth.

Add sugar and both extracts while continuing to mix on medium speed, incorporating all ingredients well.

Add eggs one at a time and incorporate completely.

Lastly add salt and sour cream and mix till completely incorporated.

❖ If add any other flavors, fruits, chocolates, etc. now is the time to do it.

Fill prepared springform pan with crust, 2/3 full, leaving room for the
cheesecake to rise.

Bake in oven for 55-65 minutes or till edges are a light golden brown and the center of the cheesecake center is jiggly but not liquidly.

Remove from oven and let rest on or near stove for about 10 min.

With a thin knife or a icing spatula loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the ring of the pan carefully and let rest till the cheesecake is room temperature.

Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving.

Release and remove ring of springform pan and transfer to serving platter if desired or just remove ring when serving and replace and cover when storing back in the refrigerator.

Notes

❖ I have several decent springform pans that do not leak, then I have 1 or 2 that do.
So, if and when I am not paying attention (I am a chronical multi tasker, so this happens a
lot, lol) I line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper, and place ready to bake cheesecake in the springform pan on the cookie sheet. This will prevent any leakage from springform pan from making a big mess that no one wants to deal with.

❖ You can also try adding chocolate chips, blue berries, or other fun treats to cheesecake batter. I’m forever
experimenting, I will not judge.