Decadent, Creamy Cheesecake

I've tried dozens of cheesecake recipes, but always come back to this one. It is a base recipe that can be doctored however you like - with added extracts, different cookie crusts etc. The real trick to a delicious cheesecake, IMO, is the cream. As an added bonus - it makes it much harder to crack!

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 10 slices

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups graham cracker crumbs or 1 1⁄2 cups  other  cookie crumbs
• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter or 1⁄4 cup  melted margarine
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• 1  pinch salt
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1  cup sugar
• 1 -2  teaspoon vanilla or 1 -2  teaspoon  other desired  extract
• 3  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1⁄2-1  cup heavy cream (depending on how creamy you want it, I usually use 2/3 cup)

Directions

1. For the crust: Stir cookie crumbs, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Pour in melted butter or margarine and stir until the crumbs are all moist. Press crumbs in the bottom of a spring form pan. Bake the crust at 350F for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the pan - the larger, the less time it will need) or until the crust starts becoming golden. Cool while you prepare the cake batter.
2. For the cheesecake batter: beat the cream cheese at medium speed till it is soft and creamy. It is important that the cheese has been warmed to room temperature for this step!
3. Add in the sugar, and beat for another 2-4 minutes, until cheese is light (and not grainy).
4. Add in the vanilla and beat until properly mixed.
5. Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated before adding in the next.
6. Add the heavy cream, either on low speed or by hand. If you have any extra goodies to throw in (like a few tbs of jam to swirl in the batter, or extra cookie chunks), now is the time to fold those inches.
7. Bake the cheesecake at 325 for 50min-1 hour and 15 min, or until it has set (besides the middle, which can still be a little jiggly). The rate at which the cake will finish depends on the size of pan you used and your oven! It is important to watch it. I have baked these in different ovens in the same sized pans and there is no consistency. When using heavy cream, I don't both with a water bath - but if you do, you will probably have to bake it a little longer. If mine cracks (not very often), I just top it with a chocolate ganache to fill in the cracks. Yum.
8. When removing the cake - run a knife around the edges of the cake, to keep it from pulling away and cracking. You can also turn off the oven a little earlier and let it cool off gradually while it finishes cooking. Let the cake cool off on the counter before chilling it. Refrigerate for at least a few hours (ideally over night) before serving.