Marnie's Cheesecake

Before she left for Nantucket, Marnie, a fellow TDM’er and sister to MJ’s wife, Cassie, gave my son, Christian, an entire homemade cheesecake. Included in her gift was a bottle of her secret ingredient, Haitian vanilla, as well as this famous recipe. It’s the creamiest, most delicious cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. Start by preheating the oven to 375.

CRUST

• 1 package Lorna Doone cookies, crushed

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

     *Combine and press into bottom and up the sides of 9-inch springform pan

 FILLING

• 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 1/2 tsp vanilla (preferably Haitian)

     *Cream together the cream cheese and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.

     *Pour into crust and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn oven to 500.

     *--Marnie always wraps the springform pan in aluminum foil and places it on a cookie sheet, otherwise butter may leak out of the pan and result in a fire. (Don’t ask her how she knows this…)

TOPPING

• 1 pint sour cream

• 5 Tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

     *Have ingredients at room temperature and mix well.  Pour carefully over cheesecake and bake for 10 minutes more at 500.

     *--Marnie usually doesn't put the topping on until the oven has reached 500 and she’s getting ready to put it in the oven.  This gives it time to set slightly so that it stays a topping and doesn't sink into the cake.

     *Refrigerate in pan at least 5 hours or overnight.