Sex ... Cheese Cake ... It's that good!
I often hear comments about sex when people express their gratitude for my baked goods and am always laughing at the comments. Some comments are riddled with explicit details while others simply reference that time when... No matter how unusual I find the comparison, which is actually a compliment, I am truly thankful I touched their lips with a creamy, smooth, sweet, tangy, and sometimes tart, sweet treat.
I spent 12 years working for three of the largest companies in the world, Procter and Gamble, The General Electric Company and The Coca-Cola Company. Every single position required me to carry a pager and eventually a cell phone, that rotated weekly or bi-weekly, with a team of my peers. This meant when you left work, if the pager beeped, you were on the phone to understand the problem which then required you to log-in remotely to access and resolve the technical issue. This was very stressful and many days took a serious toll on my psych. To relieve my stress, I began to bake and the first cake I started with was cheesecake. For the novice, I think its a great place to begin, because there are not many ingredients required. I certainly hope you slow down and take time to bake your very own cheesecake.
Cheese Cake Recipe
- 4 - 8oz cream cheese blocks (soften to room temp)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 - large eggs
- 3/4c sour cream
- 2 Tsp vanilla extract
Mix the cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix until creamy and smooth.
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 - packs honey or cinnamon graham crackers
- 3 Tb granulated sugar
- 3 Tb melted butter
- 1 Tsp cinnamon
Place the graham crackers in a large zip-lock bag and crush until fine. Add to medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly with the remaining ingredients. Cut a round piece of parchment paper to place on the bottom of your spring form pan. Spray the sides of your pan with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly pack an 8" or 9" spring form pan with the graham crackers. Pour your cheesecake batter over top of the graham cracker crust.
Wrap the bottom of the spring form pan in foil and add to a cookie sheet or extra deep, large baking pan. Place the cheesecake in a water bath and bake on 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. You want the top of the cake to be firm. If it's not firm, check every 5 minutes until it's firm.
Remove from the oven, allow the cake to sit on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Then run a knife around the rim of the cake and place the cake (still in the spring form pan) in the refrigerator to chill for 5-6 hours or overnight. Once the cake is chilled, you can add fresh fruit as pictured below or serve plain. Enjoy!