Cheesecake



Here is another favorite of ours...I don't know where it came from.  A fellow low-carber gave it to me years ago.  You can use sugar or make it sugar free as we do.   It can have a crust or nut topping but can also be left plain.  Best made the day before so it has time to fully set.  Read through the directions thoroughly before beginning.



CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. ground nuts (like almond, hazelnut or pecan) for nut coating OR use a graham cracker crust recipe.

Pan spray or 1 Tbsp melted butter

2 pounds (4 (8oz) packages) room temp, full fat cream cheese (Philadelphia brand is best for this) 

1 1/4 cups sugar or sucralose (such as Altern or Splenda)

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup full fat sour cream (may replace half of this with heavy cream to make carbs even lower)

Directions

*Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450F degrees. 

*Spray sides and bottom of a 9" springform or cheesecake pan or brush on the melted butter.

*Either make a graham cracker crust recipe OR sprinkle the ground nuts over bottom; tilt pan in all directions to coat evenly with nuts.  

*Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer JUST until smooth.  Try not to whip in air or it may fall & crack.  Cheesecake batters should be barely mixed.

*Gradually add in your sweetener and mix on medium speed until dissolved, about 3 minutes. (reduce speed if it seems too fast).

*Add eggs, ONE at a time, mixing JUST until incorporated (NOT beating!), and scraping down the sides of bowl after each addition. (If you don't scrape down the bowl after each egg, cream cheese that sticks to the bowl will show up as lumps in the batter.)

*Add extract and mix JUST until incorporated.

*Remove bowl from mixer; stir in sour cream (and heavy cream if you are using it).   If you are using super thick 'all natural' sour cream you might be better adding it right after the first egg so it is easier to mix in.

*Pour batter into the prepared pan.

*Bake at 450' for 10 minutes.   Then turn oven down to 250', leaving door ajar until it cools down.

*Continue baking til perimeter is set and center jiggles like jello when tapped, about an hour.

*Turn off oven and leave the door ajar about another hour so the cheesecake can cool gradually.

*Remove cheesecake from oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

*Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. (Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)

Additional Info

**This cheesecake freezes very well. When completely cooled and chilled, remove cake from pan. Wrap entire cake tightly in 2 or 3 sheets of plastic wrap, and then in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Or, you can also slice the cheesecake into individual servings, and wrap individually (in plastic then foil). Freeze. This will keep for at least a couple months.

**You may eat this plain or use any toppings you like.  I have concocted my own blueberry topping or used a low sugar pie filling.  You can also do things like caramel/pecan sauce, lemon curd etc.  Whatever you're in the mood for.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (you can also use almond or rum extract)