The Best Cheesecake EVER....My Mom's New York Cheesecake

I'm linking this recipe up with Robyn's View. Go take a look-see!

We have a very busy weekend, traveled to Long Island, New York yesterday for my hubby's brother's 40th birthday party, it was fun, and always good seeing the family.  Then today was church, and our Sunday School is performing their Christmas Program next Sunday, so we were all rehearsing for that, it was busy, but exciting!  Then we go to Shepherding Group the first Sunday of every month with families from our church, and that was today, we had a wonderful time sharing good food, and fellowship. WHEW.... I am tired but our weekend was wonderful spending time with family and our friends. 

My mom makes the best Cheesecake, it's a New York Cheesecake it's so creamy, and so delicious, and just SCREAMS Christmas to me!   It's very easy to make, and she's been making it now as long as I can remember. Usually Cheesecakes call for like 5 pounds of cream cheese, this recipe calls for only 3, and it still makes a large cake.  Try this recipe, so many people are intimidated by cheesecakes, it's easy, and I have a special trick to prevent it from cracking!  YUMMO!

Mom's New York Cheesecake
3 - 8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

5 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

All these ingredients must be at room temperature, including the eggs! This is a must!  So take them out of the frig and let sit on your counter for 1 hour, before you start.
Mix the cream cheese until really creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, add the sour cream, and vanilla. Scrape the sides down a couple of times, and really beat for about 5 minutes, scraping the side down yet again, until really smooth and creamy.

For the Crust, combine1 & 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs, 1 & 1/2 Tbs. sugar, and 1 stick butter already melted.



Mix all the crust ingredients together and put them into a greased 9 inch springform pan.(if you don't have a springform pan, you could also use a 9x13 baking dish)  Lined the outside of the springform pan with foil...pat the crust into the bottom, and up the sides a bit. Bake the crust for 10 minutes in a 350 oven. Cool.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the springform pan....put into a large baking pan (see below picture this is the TRICK for avoiding a crack in the middle) Bring about 3 cups or so of water to a boil, and gently pour the boiling water halfway up the sides of the cheesecake....into that baking dish, without getting any water into the unbaked cheesecake. This will help the cheesecake to cook evenly, and help it not to crack.



Put into a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Then shut off the oven, and let stand in the oven for another 45 minutes. Then take out of the oven and let stand at room temp for another hour. Meanwhile prepare the sour cream topping.

Sour Cream Topping -

1 & 2/3 cup sour cream,
 1/2 cup sugar,
1 tsp. vanilla.

Take the cake out of the pan of water and let sit at room temp, mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla with a whisk, and pour on top of the cheese cake, and spread with a knife or offset spatula. Preheat oven to 350, and cook again for only 5 minutes. Take out and let sit again for 1 hour at room temp....and then refrigerate.