I love making cheesecake, its one of the bakery’s favorite desserts. Here is my basic recipe and some tips on making a great cheesecake

Makes one 9″ plain cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs or you can use 1 1/2 cups ground vanilla wafers or 1 1/2 cups of ground snicker doodle cookies.
3 tablespoons sugar if your just using the graham crakers
1/3 cup unsalted butter
Filling:
32 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 eggs (room temperature)
Heat your oven to 325 degrees, wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with foil to help eliminate water from contaminating the batter.
Place the all the crust ingredients into a small bowl and mix well. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9″ spring form pan. Bake for approximately 5 minutes in the oven. Remove and allow to cool
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at a medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Begin adding the eggs one at a time at a low speed just to incorporate. (avoid over mixing, this will add air and cause the cheesecake to rise too much and drop in the middle when cooling) Pour over the prepared crust. Place the spring form pan into a larger pan with sides and add hot water to approximately half up. Remember cheesecake is a custard and the water bath with help to cook evenly, avoid cracks, browning and a rubber texture. bake for about 55 minutes. The finished cheesecake should be firm at the top sides and slightly jiggly in the center like jello. (approximately 150 degrees in the center). Remove it from the oven and allow it to completely cool. Place the cheesecake into the refrigerator or freezer for approximately 4 hours. There are several ways to un-mold your cheesecake. I heat up a sheet pan on the stovetop and place the cheese cake on it right from the refrigerator or freezer and allow the heat to transfer for a few minutes then using a knife I can remove the sides and bottom easily. You can also heat a damp towel and wrap it around the pan for a few minutes, then remove the pan.When cutting your cheesecake, dip a sharp knife into hot water then slice, wipe the knife and dip again. Allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. You can also top with your favorite, fruit, nuts or sauce.
Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss