40 minutes work, 2-3 hours cooking. Makes 2 cheesecakes in store-bought crusts
Ingredients:
2x prepared crusts ( graham cracker or oreo )
3x 8oz packages cream cheese (or low-fat American Neufchatel cheese)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 TSP vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 package gelatin
Directions:
Use room temperature ingredients.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time, blending well.
- Add vanilla and sour cream, blending well.
- Use a spatula to ensure everything is well mixed from the bottom of the mixer.
- Add in the gelatin, blending well.
If you’re making two different flavors, split the mixture roughly in half now into two separate bowls (you can leave half in the mixer bowl if you can eyeball it). Add your ‘flavoring’ to one or both, then pour the mixture into the two
Baking Directions:
- Initial Bake – Bake the cheesecakes on the middle rack at 500 degrees F for 10 minutes. This sets the ‘skin’
- Long Low Bake – Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F. (Leave the door open a bit to let the 500 degrees out).
- Bake until internal temperature reaches 150-155 degrees F, verified with an instant read thermometer. Let cool on counter until near room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
Flavor options:
- Lemon – 3 TBS limonchello, 1 TSP lemon extract, lemon zest (optional), lemon curd for top
- Almond – 3 TBS Amaretto, 1TSP almond extract, diced / ground almond slivers (optional)
- Coffee – 3 TBS Kahlua, 1x espresso shot
- Chocolate – 2 cups melted semisweet chocolate
- Can also do different bottom half and top half – let the bottom set a bit and pour the top onto a spoon to prevent mixing. Coffee top and chocolate bottom is good.
Adapted from https://blog.thermoworks.com/desserts/bake-perfect-cheesecake/