Simple Cheesecake

I'm not really a huge cake fan. I will eat it at a party, and I will even make it on occasion, but if given the choice I would go with a brownie, ice cream or pie. For our wedding we had peach cobbler instead of a wedding cake. When I was a kid I used to ask for pumpkin pie for my birthday, we would put candles in it and everything. And this year, I made a cheesecake for the special day. 

I looked up all sorts of recipes online, each claiming to be the best or most authentic in the New York style. But I ended up going with a recipe my mom had. It was simple, easy and delicious. 

Cheesecake can be a little intimidating. It seems so fancy, and some recipes require a lot of careful work. But this one is totally doable. And if you do mess up, it's not the end of the world. There were 2 cavernous cracks running through the cheesecake when I let it cool, hence the sauce and mounds of raspberries. But no one would have known, until I told you just now. 

Simple Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Crust

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 ounces butter or margarine, melted

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar

3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 8-ounce carton of sour cream

Sauce

2 cups raspberries (1 cup pureed in a blender, 1 cup fresh for topping)

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Combine graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the melted butter or margarine. Press into the bottom of a springform pan. Set aside.

Cream the softened cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the sour cream, which should be at room temperature.Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for half an hour at 350 degrees F. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside for another half hour. Chill and refrigerate for at least 4-8 hours.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add lemon juice and one cup of raspberry puree, turn heat to medium high and let boil for 3-4 minutes until thick. Let sauce cool before pouring on cheesecake. Top with fresh raspberries.