The Perfect Cheesecake

Yields one 9" cheesecake

Crust: 
combine 1-1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (I used gluten-free graham "style" cookies...KinniKritters brand), 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/3 cup melted butter.  Spread in the bottom of a 9" springform pan, pressing some up the sides to form a rim about 1/2" to 3/4' high.


Cheese batter: 
2 – 8 oz. packages of full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Stir cheese until soft and creamy.  Add eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until thoroughly creamed and smooth.  Pour into the crust...  

Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes.  

Butter burned in the bottom of the oven because I forgot to put the dang thing on a cookie sheet... the pan has a leak, clearly.

Remove from oven (it will still look pretty jiggly) and top with...

the following mixture:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 tbs granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pour this mixture over the baked cheese batter and return to the oven, increasing the heat to 450ºF and bake an additional 7 minutes (it will still look pretty jiggly again).

Cool in the fridge for a couple of hours (I left mine in overnight) and enjoy!

*****
This was the kind of cheesecake you think about when you conjure up The Perfect Cheesecake.  And I made it myself.  That means that ANYone can do it!