Cheesecake and Religion.

I ascended to the role of Cheesecake Goddess after literally four years of trying to recreate a chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake for my dad. I used every recipe book I could find and eventually developed my own recipe. Over the course of my quest, I also (finally) discovered tricks and tips for making your cheesecake come out perfectly. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to have a cheesecake come out of the oven with a giant crack down the center, or a crust that is more crumb than crust. For now, I will share the recipe for my basic cheesecake, from which you can add melted chocolate, or swirls of strawberry, or pureed pumpkin, or whatever you want to make it your own. I've included all my tips to keep it from cracking. Cos that REALLY pisses me off.

Goddess Cheesecake

GET THIS
32 oz. cream cheese (Four 8 oz. boxes)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

DO THIS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir the melted butter and crumbs together in a 9" or 10" springform pan. Spread evenly with a fork.
3. Blend cream cheese and sugar together with an electric mixer, adding vanilla at the end. Blend until smooth.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend until smooth.
5. Continue to mix for a full minute, this allows air into the batter and makes for a fluffier cheesecake. Omit this step if you prefer a thicker, denser cheesecake.
6. Pour the batter over the crust, use a spatula to make the batter even. Place on the middle rack of your oven.
7. Directly below the cheesecake, place a large, ovensafe bowl filled with water.
8. Bake at 350 for one hour or until edges are brown and dry.
9. Turn off the oven and leave the door cracked for ten minutes. This allows the heat to escape and begins the cooling process slowly.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the cooled oven and place on the stovetop. The residual heat from the oven heat escaping into the kitchen will continue the gradual cooling process and prevent cracking.
11. When the cake is fully cooled, place it in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight.

Enjoy. You just reached the deity status.

Serves 8-10.