A lucky cheesecake recipe find

For New Year's Day I made a cheesecake. I had purchased the ingredients for a Christmas cheesecake but I didn't have the time or the will to make it at that time. We were celebrating a birthday and New Year's Day so I thought a cheesecake might be pretty good after our traditional meal of ham, peas and greens. Above, the last piece of cheesecake! I almost didn't get a photo!!

I did  have a bit of a problem. The night before, when I took my ingredients out of the fridge to allow them to reach room temperature, I realized I had only three packs of cream cheese instead of the usual four, like my recipe said. I knew I wasn't going to go to the store, again. So I searched online for a recipe with only three packs of cream cheese and in finding that recipe, I now have THE cheesecake recipe that my family loves.

Best of all, it didn't even have the tiniest crack!! My family complimented me over and over about the cheesecake and I now have a great recipe and I don't think I will dread making a cheesecake from now on. If, of course I have continued success with this recipe.

I do think that the added sour cream and the five eggs rather than four, really makes a difference. The key is to use room temperature ingredients and that quarter cup of flour.

Catastrophe not only averted, but I found a very good recipe. Sometimes a crisis is really not a crisis.

For a gluten-free alternative I feel that corn starch would be a great substitute for the flour. I will be trying that next because I would like to make a gf version. This recipe could also be made with gf cookies for the crust or nuts only if they were finely ground.

Cheesecake with Nut Crust

Crust
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup finely chopped vanilla cookies, like shortbread, or sugar cookies (I prefer cookies without trans fats. Leftover homemade cookies work well.) (Gluten-free cookies will work, too.)
2 tablespoons melted butter
Filling

(All filling ingredients should be at room temperature before you begin.)
3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1-1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 cup plain flour (use corn starch as a gluten-free alternative)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice

16 ounces sour cream

To make the crust: 

Put nuts and cookies into a blender mix and process until they are finely chopped. Pour into a bowl and mix with melted butter. Press into a 9-inch spring form pan. Mixture can be pressed up the sides up to 1-1/2 inches or as much as possible, then set aside. 

To make the filling:

Preheat the oven at 325 degrees. All filling ingredients should be at room temperature before you begin. Beat the cream cheese until it is creamy with no lumps. Keep the mixer on a low setting throughout the beating and mixing process. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue beating until creamy. Add one egg at a time and slowly beat after each egg. Add the flour, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well. Add the sour cream last and beat well. Pour the filling mixture into the spring pan. Place rectangular baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill with boiling hot water. Place on top rack above the water, in the middle of a 325 degrees preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes. 

When time is up, take a knife and run it around the outside circumference of the cake, loosening it from the sides. Prop open the oven door and leave the cake in the oven for one hour.

Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool. Put the cheesecake into the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.