Baking with Love

Before I left home to make my journey into the world, more years ago than I care to admit, I carefully typed up my favorite family recipes and placed them in a yellow folder so that I could easily spot them and refer to them. Some of the recipes are my mom's and some of them are my grandmother's, on my father's side. When I feel the need for comfort food, I pull out the folder and choose a recipe. The folder is tattered now and some of the recipes are stained with splatters from my creative endeavors in the kitchen, but it never fails me.

Since we had a birthday in the family this past weekend, I decided to make my mom's cheesecake recipe rather than take the easy way out like I often do and stop by Ettore's Bakery or The Cheesecake Factory and get one already prepared. So, I pulled out the yellow folder, made my grocery list, and this past week I shopped for the best ingredients and chose the freshest California lemon to make the cheesecake. I got up early Sunday morning before everyone was awake because I knew that the whole process would take a few hours. Later that evening, it warmed my heart to hear the "oohs" and "ahs" and "Mmms" around the dinner table while my family tasted the dessert. I am happy to report that momma's recipe has withstood the test of time. When you make a recipe that has been lovingly handed down to you and you make it with love and proudly present it to your family - nothing could be better than that - no cake from the finest restaurant or bakery in the world can top it. 

Momma's Cheesecake

Crust: 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 stick of butter

Place spring form pan on a 12" square of aluminum foil. Using the wrapper of the stick of butter, grease the sides and bottom of the pan. Note: If using a nonstick spring form pan you can omit this step. Melt the 1/2 stick of butter and mix with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Press mixture into bottom and sides of pan. Chill while making the filling.

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)

1-1/4 cups sugar

6 eggs, separated

1/3 cup of all purpose flour

2 teaspoon vanilla

grated rind of one lemon

juice from the lemon

Use electric mixer at low speed, beat cream cheese until soft. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks until well blended. Stir in flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until peak stage. Fold into cream cheese mixture until no streaks of yellow or white remain. Pour batter into spring form pan and place pan and foil in a 325 degree oven. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven off and let cake stand in closed oven for 1 hour longer. Remove and cool in pan on wire rack at least 2 hours.