Cheesecake!

I baked a strawberry cheesecake today. From scratch. Including the crust! Though to be honest, the crust was simple. Just crumbled up leftover gingerbread cookies from Christmas and half a stick of butter, mashed up together and pressed into the bottom of the pie pan. You could easily cheat and use a premade crust though.

This is the cheesecake recipe, in case anyone else wants to try it. (Modifications I made to the original plain cheesecake parts will be in parenthesis and italics.)

Cheesecake!

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice ( I omitted this and added 1 tbsp. strawberry extract instead)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
2 eggs

1 c. sour cream
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
(1 tsp strawberry extract)
(tiny bit of burgundy food coloring) 

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in sugar, lemon juice (extract), vanilla, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Place crust on baking sheet (I didn't use a sheet, I had a thick glass pie pan) and pour in filling.

Bake on sheet in preheated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean . To prepare topping, combine remaining ingredients. Spread over top of cheese cake. Bake 10 minutes longer; cool on rack. Chill 3 hours.