Cheesecake recipe

This cheesecake recipe is shared by Anna Staver as a part of the All Sides Weekend: Chefs in the City show on Valentine's Day cooking.

Ingredients for crust:

• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (it's about 11-12 crumbled sheets)
• 1/4 cup (50g) white sugar
• 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter

Ingredients for filling:

• 32 ounces of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (240g) sour cream at room temperature
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure your rack is in the lower middle.
2. Use a food processor to pulverize the graham crackers. If you don't own one, put them in a Ziploc bag and smash them.
3.  Pour the crumbled crackers into a bowl and stir in sugar. Melt your butter, pour it in and mix. 
4. Pat the mixture in a round 9-inch pan (you can use a pie dish). Don't press down too hard or your crust will be too hard.
5. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven to cool.
6. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a bowl on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth.  This takes about two to three minutes. 
7. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. 
8. Drop down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Wait for one to blend before you add the next, but stop mixing as SOON as the final egg is incorporated. You don't want to overmix at this stage.
9. Pour the cheesecake batter into your pan.
10. Prepare a water bath. This is super important to avoid cracking. You want to take a roasting pan or cooking sheet with a lip and add hot water. Put this on your rack in the oven and then set the cheesecake on top. Make sure to wrap foil around the cake if you're using a spring form pan. The steam will help it rise evenly and prevent both cracks and dips. 
11. Cook for 60-70 minutes. You will probably need to tent it with tinfoil halfway through to prevent browning.
12. The middle should wobble a little when lightly shaken. 
13. Turn off the oven and open it but do NOT remove the cheesecake. Let it cool in the oven for an hour before bringing to the counter to cool.
14. Cool on the counter to room temperature and then put it in the fridge for at least four hours. 

Tips:

You can hide cracks and browning by decorating the top with fresh fruit like strawberries or raspberries. You could also drizzle chocolate on top or use fresh whipped cream.