Cheese Cake

My latest passion, and one that needs to be restrained, is making cheese cake. My kids like it, but not enough to eat it before I do, except Soni, my partner in crime. So here it is...and of course there is no picture...just imagine my hips an inch or to wider.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers crushed)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

2 1/2 pounds (five 8-ounce packages) cream cheese. at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Topping (optional)
1 cup red jelly (not jam). such as current, raspberry, or strawberry
3 half-pints fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, mix until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. Using your hands, press crumbs into bottom of pan and 1 inch up the sides. Bake 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 450. Place cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and blend on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, combing well after each addition. With mixer on low, add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into crust.

Bake cake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 and bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and open door wide. Cake will not be completely set in center. leave cake in oven with door open 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temperature another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove cake from springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of cake. Retain bottom of pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, gently toss raspberries and jelly until well-mixed; using a spoon, arrange berries on top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

* I halved the recipe and put it in a large pre made crust, bought frozen strawberries heated them up with sugar and a little water for the topping.