New York Cheesecake

Cheesecake Ingredients

4 pkgs cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar 
2 eggs
2 T vanilla
3 tsp lemon juice

Beat softened cream cheese; add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Bake in graham cracker crust (see recipe below) at 500 degrees for 10 minutes; let stand for 5 minutes and top with glaze (recipe below).  Turn oven to 250 degrees; bake for 50-60 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  

Glaze

1 pint sour cream
3 T sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all together and top cheesecake after it cools for 10 mins

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Press into springform pan and top with cheesecake mixture.

NOTE:  I have found that cooking the cheesecake in a roasting pan gives the best results.   To do so:  cover the bottom of springform pan with foil – making sure the sides of the pan are also covered.  Place filled pan inside roasting pan and fill about halfway with water.  Bake as usual.  

I usually top with my homemade raspberry sauce, but the picture above is topped with fresh strawberries and hot fudge.  

Raspberry Sauce

1 pkg frozen raspberries