
Alright guys, here it is, the regular and no fat versions of my cheesecake and damn, if I do say so myself, this stuff is so GOOD! But it is NOT my own made up recipe...this is an VERY OLD German recipe handed down from my ex's family tree for a long, long time now.
Twice Baked Cheesecake Recipe:
If a regular cheesecake, 1 and 1/2 to 2 waxed paper packages of honey grahams crackers, crushed, if a chocolate one, 1 and 1/2 to 2 rows of Oreo cookies, crushed. Once you have them pulverized to the size of dust, mix them with 1 cube of butter. For low-fat, use low-fat margarine or that "Take Five" or whatever that lower cholestrol spread is, but DO NOT USE THE BENECOL BRAND!!! That stuff does not do well in cooking, TRUST ME!!!!
Mix this all together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Graham cracker or cookie mixture should be damp, but not drenced. If it is, you did not measure your butter or margarine correctly.
Mash this mixture into a 9" tin or glass pie pan and cook in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until the crust is set.
Keep the oven at 350, and then, after pulling out the crust, in another bowl mix up:
10 oz. of softened cream cheese ( if low fat, use low fat or no fat cream cheese)
2 eggs, already beaten
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp. of real vanilla extract, not that imitation CRAP!
( Mix together with wooden spoon, not an electric mixer. You want a few lumps in this, it's not supposed to be totally smooth.
( if you want this to be a chocolate ripple cheesecake and you already have the chocolate crust, use 1 to 2 Tbsp. of Hershey's or Nestle's liquid chocolate and pour it on top of the already poured mixture into the pie shell. Get an ordinary butter knife and gently insert it in the chocolate areas and use the knife to pull it around the vanilla areas, until you've created a "swirl" pattern in the cheesecake)
Cook in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
When this layer comes out of the oven, put it in the refrigerator to cool and turn down your oven to 325. Let bottom layer cool at least an hour.
Top layer of cheesecake:
1 cup ( 8 oz.) of sour cream ( for low-fat, use low fat or no fat sour cream)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. again of REAL vanilla extract
Whip this all with a wire whip and pour on top of the bottom layer ( if you want the top layer totally chocolate, add as much as 3 Tbsp. of the Hershey's or Nestle's chocolate and stir it totally into the whole mixture so it is all chocolate colored). Bake this layer at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.
Put entire cheesecake in refrigerator overnight and for an extra added treat, try this:
Strawberry or any other fresh berry or fruit compote:
Clean and cut nicely a cup strawberries or other kind of berries or your favorite fruit and add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp.of quick cooking tapioca granules. Put in a small saucepan on the stove, add a pinch or two of water, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once it starts to thicken, take it off the heat and spoon it carefully over the cheesecake. Let set and serve!
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Anita Bonita