World's Best Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (liquid drained)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. 2

   Melt ½ cup butter.

3. 3

   Combine graham cracker crumbs and ½ cup melted butter; mix well.

4. 4

   Press graham cracker mixture onto bottom and about 2-1/2 inches up the sides of a 9x3-inch spring form pan.

5. 5

   Sift flour and cornstarch together; set aside.

6. 6

   Melt ½ cup butter; cool.

7. 7

   In mixer, combine ricotta and cream cheese; beat until smooth.

8. 8

   Add sugar ½ cup at a time scraping bowl if necessary to get it all mixed in well; beat for 30 seconds to thicken up after last of sugar is added.

9. 9

   Blend in vanilla, lemon juice, cornstarch, and flour; mix well.

10. 10

    Add sour cream and melted butter; mix well.

11. 11

    Add each egg one at a time, beating each one in well before the other is added.

12. 12

    Beat for 30 seconds scraping bowl well to make sure that all batter is blended properly.

13. 13

    Wrap the outside of the spring form pan in TWO layers of aluminum foil.

14. 14

    Pour batter in to spring form pan.

15. 15

    Place spring form pan into larger roasting type pan and fill roasting pan with water until it comes HALFWAY up the spring form pan’s sides.

16. 16

    Bake for 1 hour, turn oven off and leave it in the oven untouched another 45 minutes.

17. 17

    Your cheesecake is PERFECT when it is very lightly browned and has a 2-3 inch wobbly spot in the middle after baking.

18. 18

    Remove from oven, remove foil, cool completely, then refrigerate over night.

19. 19

    To serve: carefully remove sides of spring form pan, slice and serve cold with topping of your choice.