Basic Cheesecake

We had a pastry chef teach us how to make cheesecake at enrichment, this is her basic recipe that you can adapt to make any cheesecake you can dream of!  Cheesecake Factory move over!  I will post some of the adaptations in another post.

Crust:

1 3/4 c. honey maid graham cracker crumbs (do I really need to say it, don't use the cardboard tasting generic brand)

1/4 c. sugar

1/3 -1/2 c. melted butter

Filling:

4 8oz. pkgs. philadelphia cream cheese softened (again, don't get stingy here, if your gonna make cheesecake use the good stuff not the generic, I guarantee it won't taste as good)

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 whole eggs + 1 yolk

Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a springform pan (8, 9 or 10" will work, depends on how thick you want your cheesecake to be)

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time until just blended.  Pour over crust and bake at 315 for about 45-65 minutes, until just set.  If it is still jiggly in the middle it is not done.  Using a toothpick won't really work to tell if it is done.  (You can put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to help keep cheesecake from cracking, but I didn't and didn't have any problems.  Also a lot of people turn off their oven and open the door a bit when done cooking to let cheesecake cool down slowly to prevent cracking, I did not need to do this, I put it on the counter and no cracks.)  Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.