when life seems uncertain eat cheesecake...

haven't written in a super long time. life took some unexpected twists and turns but i am back on my feet and hungry as ever! i thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to share my cheesecake recipe. well it's actually my mothers. the second i take a bite of this cheesecake i am transported back in time. scene: my mother in the kitchen cooking for one of her legendary dinner parties. the dinners were always delicious- baked salmon with parsley sauce, perfectly roasted potatoes, buttered haricot vert and for the finale always 2 cakes with hand whipped cream! this cheesecake would make guests speechless. and if we were lucky enough there would be left overs which my mom and i would eat for breakfast the next day- her slice accompanied by a cup of coffee with a dollop of whipped cream... this cake is truly a comfort food for me. please enjoy and be warned-- once you make one of these, people, including yourself, will be begging for it on a regular basis...

new york cheesecake

you'll need a 9 inch cake pan with a removable bottom

for the crust:

1 1/2 cups matzo meal crumbs or bread crumbs (i do 1 cup matzo 1/2 cup bread crumbs)

1/4 cup raw sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

mix the ingredients into a dough and line the cake pan with the mixture. put into freezer.

while the crust is in freezer preheat your oven to 375*

combine:

2 well beaten organic eggs

12 ounces organic cream cheese (at room temperature)

the recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar but both my mom and i use less

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pinch of salt

beat the ingredients together with a mixer until the texture is smooth (you might end up with a few chunks here and there, that's fine)

remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cream cheese mixture into it. bake for 20 minutes.

remove the cake from the oven and dust the surface with cinnamon powder. then let the cake cool.

once the cake is cooled get working on the second layer.

preheat oven to 425*

combine:

1 1/2 cups organic sour cream

2 tablespoons ground raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon organic fair trade vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

beat the ingredients together and pour onto cooled cake. bake for 5 minutes. remove the cake from the oven and let cool. then refrigerate your cheesecake for at least 6 hours (i find the longer it gets to set in the fridge the better it tastes-- in other words try to refrigerate it over night.)