Kumquat, Sugar and Pixels: Nabisco Best Recipe Cheesecake

My cheesecake with the raspberry sauce is probably the most requested dessert of me. I tell everyone, they can just make it. It is not any secret recipe. The recipe is on the back of the Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumb box. Really!! That is the recipe I use, nothing special. The trick to set out the 3 packages of Philadelphia cream cheese ( must be Philadelphia brand of cream cheese), eggs and sour cream out on the counter to come to room temperature. It makes blending easier and the mixture will not have pockets of cold ingredients. If there is anything I could caution, do not overbeat. A springform pan is essential. Most times, I follow the recipe on the Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumbs box to the letter. This Thanksgiving, I baked it in a water bath. If I would observe, the cheesecake was creamier. However, you can easily dispense with the cumbersome water bath process and produce a really good cheesecake. I normally do :)

The Sour Cream Raspberry sauce is my own concoction. I am not a fan of pie fillings, preferring fresh fruit. I decided all this simple but delicious cheesecake needed was a luscious sauce. Using the remaining sour cream and frozen raspberry from the freezer, my famous sour cream raspberry sauce was born. It is also very good on vanilla ice cream. It has been known as liquid crack!!

Adapted from Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumb

NABISCO'S "OUR BEST" CHEESECAKE

1 3/4 cup Nabisco graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sour Breakstone, Knudsen or Daisy sour cream
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling, or apple, or blueberry (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Crust: Mix together 1 1/4 cup crumbs, 5 tablespoon melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar and press mixture firmly against bottom and up 2 1/2 inches up sides of an 8-9 inch springform pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until just blended. Add vanilla, beat until just blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, at low to speed until just blended. You must not overbeat at this stage or the cheesecake will rise and then fall in oven, affecting texture. Add in sour cream. Blend on low speed or by hand. Pour into crust.

Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off oven, leaving oven door slightly ajar. I use 2 wooden spoon, one on each side to wedge the door open. Leave cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. I often leave it overnight. The slower you cool the cheesecake, the less likely it is to fall or crack. Cool cake in the pan. Chill for 4 hours or overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge to help separate cheesecake form pan. Remove sides of springform pan. Top with cherry pie filling if using. Makes 10 (about 2 1/4 inch) wedges.

Raspberry Sour Cream Sauce ( my recipe!!)
1 24 oz Breakstone, Knudsen or Daisy sour cream (less the 1 cup of sour cream used in cheesecake above)
2-3 tablespoon up to 1/4 cup of fine sugar, depending on the raspberry
12 oz frozen raspberry ( preferably unsweetened), thawed

Blend sour cream, raspberry and 2-3 tablespoon sugar together until smooth. Taste and adjust with more sugar if necessary. Pour mixture into a fine sieve, removing all the fine raspberry seeds for a smooth, delicious, decadent sauce.

NB. This sauce is also excellent on vanilla ice cream