Tasty Tuesday: Cheesecake

One of my favorite things to bake is a cheesecake. I was scared the first time I made one because I was always told they were extremely hard to make. Jonathan and I lived at the Links our first year of marriage, and our neighbors loved to cook. She always gave me good recipes to try! One day, she and I were talking about cheesecake and she said she had an easy cheesecake recipe. So, I got over my fear and tried her recipe. She was right, it is easy and yummy!

Ingredients:

- 3 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese (I use Neufatchel cream cheese)

- 1 cup of sugar

- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1/4 cup milk

- 3 slightly beaten eggs

- 1 solid squirt of lemon juice

Crust recipe can be found here! I use the same graham cracker crust for everything! Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan.

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined.

2. Beat in milk until smooth (will be creamy).

3. Stir in eggs and lemon juice (don't over mix; well blended).

4. Pour filling onto crust. Spread evenly.

5. Put the spring-form pan in a shallow pan to prevent spills.

6. Bake 375 degrees for about 45 minutes for an 8 inch pan and 35 minutes for a 9 inch pan; or until a 2 to 2 1/2 inch area around the outside edges appear set (not jiggly) when gently shaken.

7. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Using a small knife, loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Cool for 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of pan and cool completely on rack. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

8. Top with your choice of fruit, nuts, and syrups!

Enjoy!