I share my love of cooking with my sister-in-law, Shelley, and her two girls, Leslie and Lara (that’s who the bridal shower in my last post was for). I have been cooking for the holidays with them for so many years now, so it has become a shared passion for all of us. As I told you before, my cooking has evolved since the first time Shelley told me I would be the one to make Thanksgiving one year, many moons ago. One of the reasons I started this blog was so that my nieces would have it all the recipes written down in one place.

Shelley has always been a great cook. She inherited that talent from her mother, Julia, as she was growing up. Not only was Julia an amazing cook, but she was an even better baker. It would be hard for me to remember Julia’s baking, but luckily Shelley has all of her mom’s recipes and can flawlessly replicate each one. Shelley takes after her mother, she is an amazing cook, but her baking is impeccable.

You know how some people do not want to share their most coveted recipes? Shelly is not like that at all. She has given me so many recipes to blog and loves to share them. I feel very grateful that she is letting me share this one with you today. This is one recipe I do remember Julia making. When I was young, I always hated cheesecake, until I tasted Julia’s of course. 

This cheesecake is crazy good. It is so smooth and creamy, with just a hint of vanilla. Every bite is even better than the last. The graham cracker crust is always perfect for cheesecake. You should definitely make this decadent dessert, but before you do here are some baking tips

—Bring the ingredients to room temperature before mixing them.

—Do not overbeat the filling, it will let air in the batter which will cause cracking.

—Generously grease the sides of the pan.

Now that you have all my helpful hints, let’s get baking!

This recipe is courtesy of Grandma Julia and Shelley and will serve 8 people who will always come back begging for more.

Ingredients for Grandma Julia’s Cheese Cake

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tablespoon shortening to grease springform pan

For the filling:

2 pounds cream cheese (4×8 0z.) packages, room temperature
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pint (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brush shortening all around a springform pan.

Place graham crackers in pan and swirl pan so graham crackers adhere thinly to the sides.

Pat down crumbs gently into bottom of pan.

Place aluminum foil all around the bottom and bottom edges of the pan.

Separate eggs.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

 

Place in the refrigerator.

Beat egg yolks and sugar until they are creamy and smooth.

Add cream cheese in small amounts at a time.

Add flour, heavy cream and vanilla.

Fold in egg whites until well incorporated.

Pour batter into springform pan.

Place pan in another pan filled with water halfway up the sides.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Now, the key is to learn to make it with no cracks, like Shelley does, but hey who’s perfect? It tasted heavenly!

 

It’s that simple!