Easy Cheesecake

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and sugar. Next, cut in the butter until the crust is crumbly. Grease the sides only of a 9-inch springform pan and press the crust mixture onto the pan’s bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool on a wire rack before adding the cheesecake filling. Editor’s Tip: In a pinch, it’s okay to buy a store-bought graham-cracker crust. The taste will not vary substantially.

2. Stage

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is smooth. Next, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla before adding the eggs. Beat it on low speed until the ingredients are combined. Editor’s Tip: Don’t have a hand-held or stand mixer? No problem. Your arm will be sore but you can beat this by hand if needed. However, it’s worth using a mixer if you’ve got one to ensure there aren’t any lumps in the batter.

3. Stage

Pour the filling into the crust. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is almost set. You’ll know when it’s set by lifting up the cheesecake and it will no longer jiggle. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove from the pan, Carefully run a butter knife around the inside edge, to remove from the pan. Before serving, cool for an additional hour.

4. Stage

While the cheesecake is baking, make one or both of these optional toppings. For the homemade raspberry sauce, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in the water until the mixture is smooth. Add fresh or frozen raspberries and stir until the sauce is thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and strain it to remove seeds. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and cover. Store it in the fridge. For the sour cream topping, combine sour cream and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl until smooth and store in a covered container in the fridge.