Sour Cream Cheesecake

Yes, I am lactose intolerant. So, yes, as a general rule, I cannot eat such delicious foods as cheesecake--or pretty much anything with the words "cheese" or "cream" somehow buried in them. This is not to say I don't occasionally tempt fate, in very small portions, especially for the sake of dear friends, and with the help of a Lactaid pill. But you don't want to know about my dietary deficiencies. You want to know how to make that delectable-looking slice of heaven that even this non-dairy eater here is raving about from the minimal sliver she used for taste testing.

I owe this one to my dear friend Janice (that's her in the picture under step 2) who wanted to try out a recipe that another friend gave her. We've often created baking experiments together, and it's always fun to teach and learn and just spend time together--especially when it results in delicious food. So dairy product or no, I was gung-ho to try out her friend's recipe labeled "Cream Cheese Pie."  Accidentally glossing over the word "pie" on the paper she handed me, I baked both our Sour Cream Cheesecakes in cake pans (we doubled the recipe to make one for each of our families). This essentially created an easy cheesecake recipe (because cheesecakes are actually rather complicated to make under normal circumstances--they require hot steam baths to prevent cracking and everything!). But whatever you call it, and however you vary the recipe, it's still going to taste great and be a fun project to put together with friends!

Ingredients:

For crust:
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

For filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces light cream cheese (softened)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

For topping:
2 cups light sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Crush a box of graham crackers to create crumbs (we crushed ours by hand in plastic baggies). Mix crumbs, butter and sugar together, saving a few crumbs for the topping. Press the mixture into the cake pan, bake 8 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.

2.) In a bowl, beat the eggs, then add the sugar, vanilla, cream cheese and salt. Combine everything with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the crust and bake 20 minutes.

3.) Let the cheesecake cool while making the topping: mix together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla, along with remaining crumbs. Pour on top and bake another 10 minutes. (I also accidentally glossed over the fact that the crumbs in the original recipe are supposed to go on the very top of the cake, not inside the topping mixture. But, oh well, this does not affect flavor--only presentation. See below).

4.) Cool the cheesecake completely before refrigerating at least 30 minutes, though overnight is best.

Using the light cream cheese and sour cream makes this one just a touch healthier than most cheesecakes, and I believe made it slightly easier for my tummy to digest. Don't let the three different mixtures (crust, filling, topping) scare you away from a relatively easy recipe that's still under five steps to make! Thank you Janice, and thank you Janice's friend!

Next up, my Easter escapades!