The Best (Sour Cream) Cheesecake Ever

On Sunday I made Alton Brown's Good Eats Sour Cream Cheesecake recipe and it was SO VERY DELICIOUS!!! My dad, who is 72 and has eaten a lot of cheesecake, said it was the best he has ever tasted. Wow! This cheesecake is moist and rich and creamy; it is the complete opposite of New York style cheesecake which is dryer and tighter (and which I really don't like). In fact the very first cheesecake I ever tasted eons ago was a New York style, and being young and dumb I didn't know that cheesecake could be different, so I thought I hated cheesecake for a long time. Silly girl! You can click on the link to Mr. Brown's original recipe, or you can just keep reading for his wonderful recipe which I changed only slightly so I could use my springform pan.

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SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE

Crust:
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 sleeve graham crackers
1 tbsp. sugar

Filling:
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 - 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Crush the graham crackers in a ziploc bag until very fine. Add sugar to bag, seal, and shake well. Pour crumbs into a small bowl, add butter, and mix well with a fork. Pour crumb mixture into a 9" springform pan and press crust into bottom. (Press with the bottom of a glass tumbler for smooth results.) Bake crust for 15 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes before filling.

Reduce oven tempurature to 250 degrees.
Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a kettle.

Combine the vanilla, eggs, egg yolks, and cream in a small bowl; set aside.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the sugar for 1 minute on low speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the sour cream and mix on low speed for another 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl again, boost the speed to medium, and beat until lump free, 2-3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the egg mixture, stopping every now and then to scrape down the bowl. When the mixture is homogenous, pour the filling into the cooled crust.

Using extra-wide tin foil, tear off a square piece and place the springform pan in the middle. Wrap the tin foil up the sides of the pan so no water can get in it. Place a kitchen towel inside a roasting pan, then place the springform pan in the middle and place the whole thing in the oven. Pour the boiling water carefully into the roasting pan until it is 1 1/2 inches up the side of the springform pan.

Bake for 2 hours, then kill the heat. Open the oven door for 1 minute, then close it and keep it closed for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours before serving. (Let the water bath cool completely before removing it from the oven.) To serve, release springform side and gently run a butter knife around the edges before lifting side off. Cut slices with the longest, thinnest knife you have, wiping it with a hot, wet paper towel between slices.
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The only difference is the crust. I honestly don't why you wouldn't use a springform pan if you have one, it is so much easier.

Last night for dinner I made cheese enchiladas and the night before that I made baked potato soup. Tonight we are having leftovers. The meal plan for the coming week is: frozen pizza (always), Breakfast, Hot Dogs with Tater Tots and Baked Beans, Chicken Picatta with Pasta Salad, Un-Stuffed Peppers (NEW), and Cube Steak Sandwiches (NEW).

My dad came over the other day and brought us 7 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. My mom was my troop leader, along with my best friend D's mom, from the first grade all the way until our senior year of high school. My dad likes to honor her by buying two of every type of cookie they sell each spring, of which he gives us one of each. I have eaten an entire box of Samoas in 3 days! Yikes! I hope I fit into my outfit for the baby shower I have to go to on Sunday. When we were in high school in G.S. we sold cookies at O'hare airport (can't do that now!) and we raised enough money to take a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas on the Carnival cruise-line the summer after we graduated. What great memories!

One of my favorite blogs This Stop Willoughby has opened and Etsy store The Cabbage Rose. Please check out her blog for a great giveaway, and her store for some awesome merchandise!

Happy eating!