Grandma's Cheesecake

Cheesecakes are best made the day before you plan to eat them.

Have all ingredients at room temperature.
To make the crust:
0. Preheat oven to 350F.
1. Crush graham crackers by hand or in a blender. Add sugar and melted butter.
2. Press the crumbs ~1 1/2" up the sides of a 9" or 10" spring form pan (or pie plate).
To make the filling:
3. Beat cream cheese and 2/3 c. sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, lemon juice and 1 tsp. vanilla.
4. Pour into crust and bake for 35 minutes, or until the middle is still a little jiggly.
To make the topping:
5. Mix sour cream, 1/4 c. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.
6. When the middle is still jiggly, pull the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool 5 minutes.
7. Pour on the sour cream topping and bake another 5 minutes.
8. Let cool to RT, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Source: Mom from Grandma Gwen from L.A. Times

To make pumpkin cheesecake:

Gingersnap crust (optional) of about 1 and 1/2c crumbs and 1/3c melted butter, 10" springform pan.

To make pumpkin cheesecake, increase sugar in filling to 1 c., add 1 c. canned pumpkin, add 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Can also add nutmeg, candied and or fresh ginger, allspice or cloves.

Can garnish the top with candied ginger, sugared pumpkin seeds, cranberries - whatever strikes your fancy.

Dulce de leche cheesecake:

Replace 1/3c. sugar with 1/3 c. dulce de leche in the filling and add zest of a mandarin. For the topping, use 2/3 c. sour cream and 1/3 c. dulce de leche.

For other variations, can add cocoa, lemon curd or jelly to the filling.