Cheesecake

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

I've made cheesecake-themed things before and a while back made a halal-ified version of this pumpkin cheesecake. But a plain, classic cheesecake? I never really went there. Sure, I made some fake versions by blending some cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together, scooped into a dessert glass and topped with fruit. But those things never saw the inside of an oven making it, in my mind at least, a cheat-sheet version and not the real deal. So I finally caved in and went as classic as you could go with cheesecake: I made the version right off the box (es).

It was creamy, it was smooth, it was tangy and sweet at the same time, it was too much. No literally, it was too much. Maybe my pan wasn't deep enough, or may I was too scared to fill it to the tippy-top (it did sink a bit after baking), but I had enough batter left over to make a small 6" cheesecake on the side, so no complaints there.

I kept it naked but this would be delicious with a fresh fruit topping or a dollop of whipped cream. Either way, this is a must have for your collection of classic desserts.

Philadelphia New York Cheesecake

• 1 1/4 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 5 (250 g) packages PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 (19 ounce) can cherry pie filling
 

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F if using a silver 9 inch spring-form pan (or to 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch spring-form pan). Mix crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.( I used a 9 x 13 pan, and had some batter left over for a 6" round spring-form pan).
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with pie filling before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.