Blue Ribbon Cheesecake

I am the Party Boss. My self-imposed responsibility is to provide a dessert for a party every payday. The Payday Party is not so much a party as it is a dessert. I bring in something tasty, and people eat it. Sometimes someone brings something else as well. For the first few years as Party Boss, I made a different cheesecake every month. There were no complaints. Then I went off on a tangent. A tangent that led to Jelly Donut Pudding, halva, cobblers, baklava, and I can't remember what else. After a two-month hiatus due to the holidays and the Rose Bowl, the payday party returns on the morrow. And so does the cheesecake.

I made a recipe from 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes called Blue Ribbon Cheesecake. It is a simple recipe: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla, over a graham cracker crust. My stand mixer makes it a snap.

I have found that in using cheesecake pans, lining the sides with strips of parchment paper will produce a better looking finished product. After unmolding, simply peel the strips away. There are no marks where a knife was run around the inside of the pan. Just a trick I have learned over the years.

I topped this particular cheesecake with canned blueberry pie filling. It was easier, and it is January so I don't have access to fresh blueberries to cook down.

Bon appétit!