Favorite Recipe: Creamy Baked Cheesecake

Well, I missed it!  Yesterday was National Cheesecake Day and I fully intended to send out my favorite cheesecake recipe.  But the day got away, and here I sit, a day late and a dollar short (as they say)!

Well, enough of that!  In my book, everyday could be cheesecake day!  So here it is.  It's not one of the simplest recipes for cheesecake, but it is one of the best:

Creamy Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted 
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs                   
• 1/8-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice                   
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream, room
• Fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, if desired for topping

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In mixer, combine crumbs, sugar and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9 inch spring form pan. 

2. In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and lemon juice. Mix well.

3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes or until center is set. Top with sour cream. Cool. Chill. If desired, top with strawberries.

Enjoy and have a happy day!