Cakes, Desserts
Mammo's Cheesecake

    Crust

  • 1/3 pound (1 package) graham crackers, processed into fine crubms
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted, but not hot

    Filling

  • 2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia brand cream cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.

To prepare the crust:

Line the bottom of a 10-inch or 11-inch springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, combine crust ingredients, using your fingers to mix well. Press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes. Remove and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

To prepare the filling:

Soften cream cheese for about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. Add eggs and beat well. Add 2/3 cup sugar and extracts. Beat again until smooth. Pour mixture into cooled graham cracker crust.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until center of cheesecake begins to firm, but do not allow edges to brown. Do not bake for longer than 60 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Remove springform and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Notes

For Pumpkin Cheesecake, follow the recipe above, except:

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to crust mixture
Eliminate extracts in filling
Increase sugar in filling to 1 cup

After beating the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar, add:

2 cups cooked pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Increase baking time to 60 to no more than 90 minutes

This is one of the few recipes where I insist on a specific brand. I've experimented with generic and store brand cream cheeses, and none of them beats as smoothly as Philadelphia cream cheese.

Oven temperature is very important. Use an accurate thermometer and DO NOT bake longer than 60 minutes. If the oven is too cool, the cheesecake will be watery; too hot (or baking longer than 60 minutes) and it'll be tough and rubbery. It's also important to cool the cake slowly before refrigerating. If you cool it too quickly, the top will crack.

This recipe is adaped from the one my mother made when I was a kid.

Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 314.6 calories; 19.5g fat (55.1% calories from fat); 5.3g protein; 30.5g carbohydrate; 106mg cholesterol; 243mg sodium.

updated 11/11/2021

Mammo's Cheesecake