The Wife's Favorite Cheesecake

Submitted by Chef #1326463

"A neighbor gave this recipe to me. He said, "This is my wife's recipe for her fabulous cheesecake. She cooks. I eat.""

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 1 pie
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup butter, melted and unsalted
• 1 1⁄2 lbs cream cheese
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sour cream, thick
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

directions

1. Preparation: Use the best quality ingredients you can buy and the quality will be reflected in the finished product. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results and use unsalted butter.
2. Gently spray the sides of a 18" spring form pan with PAM.
3. Cut a cardboard circle the same diameter as the bottom of the spring form pan and cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
4. Put the spring form pan together and using another sheet of aluminum foil, cover the outside bottom of the spring form pan and smother the edges of the foil around the sides. The cardboard circle adds just enough height to level the bottom crust for easy removal. The two layers of foil do the following: The inside layer will catch any melted butter, and make it easy for you to slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter. The outside layer will ensure butter does not drip during the baking process.
5. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
6. Crust Ingredients:1 1/2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafer Cookies.
7. 1/2 cup sugar.
8. 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter.
9. You can also use graham cracker crumbs instead of the crushed cookies, but we prefer the 'Nilla Wafer Cookies by Christie.
10. Crust Procedure: Mix together the crust ingredients and pat down to the bottom and halfway up the sides.
11. Filling Ingredients:.
12. 1 1/2 lb. cream cheese.
13. 1 1/4 cup sugar.
14. 6 large eggs, separated.
15. 1 1/2 tbsp thick sour cream.
16. 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted melted butter.
17. 3 tbsp cornstarch.
18. 2 tbsp vanilla extract.
19. Filling Procedure: Beat egg yolks with sugar and vanilla extract until it is very light and fluffy. Mix the cornstarch and melted butter into the sour cream, and when blended, add to the yolk mixture, blending well.
20. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Very gently fold in the stiff egg whites into the above mixture taking care not to destroy the fluffiness of the egg whites: it is the egg whites that will add "lift" to the cheesecake.
21. Gently pour into the prepared pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven door at all.
22. Turn OFF the heat and allow the cake to bake for 1 hour more with the residual heat. Again, do not open the oven door at all.
23. When you remove the cake from the oven, you'll see that the middle looks jiggly. It's supposed to be like this. It will congeal more as it cools and/or it's refrigerated.
24. Set the cheesecake on a counter top on a cake rack to cool completely. At this point you can remove the side of the spring form by gently running a dull knife around the inside edge and lift out. If you are going to put this on a serving platter, it is very easy to gently coax the cake from the aluminum foil. This must be refrigerated due all the dairy products.
25. Just remember two things: Don't over bake, and keep the oven door closed the entire 2 hours during the process. This is probably the best cheesecake you've ever had! You won't need any "goo" on top to make it palatable and the flavor is phenomenal.