Simple Cheesecake

I made a cheesecake for the July 4th holiday. Not exactly summer fare, but I figured if I served it with some fresh fruit I could get away with it. Because sometimes you just need a little cheesecake!

This is what I call a “ruleless cheesecake”. You can make it in a springform pan, cake pan, or a pie plate – whatever you have on hand. It also doesn’t require a water bath. Simple.

As for the recipe – the crust is made with Nilla Wafers which infuses a more vanilla flavor than a graham cracker crust. It’s creamy and smooth, and has a wonderful sweetness/slight tang combo, which is repeated by the silky sour cream topping. Serve it with fresh berries, and you can call it your “Summer Cheesecake”!

Crust:

• 40 Nilla Wafers, crushed into crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:

• 2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Grease a 9″ springform pan or cake pan.
2. Crush Nilla Wafers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Pour the contents in a medium bowl add the sugar and butter. Stir to combine and pour into prepared pan. Press into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes, let cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time beating after each addition. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Pour into cooled crust and bake for 20 minutes until center is set.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the cooled cheesecake.
6. Raise oven temperature to 475º, and let it preheat for 3 minutes. Place the pan back in the oven for 10 minutes.
7. Let cool on a wire rack and refrigerate overnight.