Indulge in decadent cheesecake

June 10, 6:00 PMCheese ExaminerP.A. Flaherty

You deserve a treat. Sweet, creamy homemade cheesecake may slightly strain the grocery budget (and the daily caloric intake) but it’s worth every penny. The fluffy center meeting the crisp graham cracker crust even makes those inevitable birthdays more palatable. Have some friends or neighbors coming over for a game night? Hosting your sister’s rowdy kids for their summer stay-cation? If you have a few hours and enough cream cheese, baker and guests alike can enjoy a decadent treat. This summer, let them eat cake.

One caveat: if you are going to treat your family and bake a cheesecake, bake a delectable cheesecake. This Examiner strongly encourages you to utilize real cream cheese, not a low-fat imitation product. Similarly, remember how good stolen slices of Mom’s cake tasted as you sat on the shag carpet watching The Brady Bunch? My mouth waters at the thought. Know why Mom’s cakes were always so fabulous? Mom used real butter. For more intense texture and taste, you should do the same. Variations on the classic cheesecake, such as chocolate cheesecake with a cookie crumb crust, also please a horde of summer guests. Try my quick and simple cheesecake recipe. Live richly.

Busy Baker’s Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup real, creamery buttery
4, 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tiny pinch of cinnamon
4 eggs
1 pint fresh, local strawberries
*Optional-1 bar of dark chocolate (melted)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs with 3 tablespoons sugar and butter. Press crust mixture firmly into the bottom of a silver, nine-inch spring-form pan. (Lower the baking temperature if using a dark, nonstick spring-form pan.)
3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and a tiny pinch of cinnamon (don’t overdo the spice). Beat with an electric mixer until the ingredients are well blended together.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed, until blended.
5. Poor the rich filling over crust.
6. Bake 55 minutes or until the center is almost set.
7. Cool cake.
8. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight.
9. Decorate your cake with strawberry slices and/or melted chocolate.
10. Indulge.