Say "CHEESE" (Cake)

I loooovvve cheesecake. Not just any cheesecake, but real, baked cheesecake. My Mom makes the best Real Baked Cheesecake for holidays. It's thick and rich and made in a springform pan with a graham cracker crust, and takes lots and lots of cream cheese and lemon juice and sugar and eggs. Its To Die For.

At my house, on the other hand, cheescake usually comes from a box. As in those quickie pudding-type mixes. It has a graham cracker crust, but the resemblance to Real Baked Cheesecake ends there. This is the type that I call "Refrigerator Cheesecake". There are even some homemade versions of this out there, but whether it's from a box or made from scratch, it's still Refrigerator Cheesecake.

I was going through recipes recently, though, and I came upon one that I had forgotten about. Anybody but me old enough to remember when Bisquick came out with several different "Impossible Pie" recipes? These were crustless mixtures that, when baked, formed a firm enough bottom and edge that you don't need a crust to cut and serve it just like pie. I think the first one was Impossible Coconut Pie, but they came out with several other sweet Impossible Pies, as well as some savory ones that were quiche-like, but again, crustless.

Many years ago I used to make a cheesecake adapted from one of these type of recipes. Made with cream cheese, eggs, sugar, etc, and a small amount of Bisquick or other baking mix, it makes just the right pie-sized Real Baked Cheesecake. Top it with sweetened sour cream, with or without a little fresh fruit on top, and you have a yummy cheesecake without all of the time, expense or work of traditional cheesecake, and as added benefit, it makes a smaller, pie-sized cheesecake. Which is a good thing because I am portion-control challenged when it comes to Real Baked Cheesecake.

Ingredients:

• 2 8oz pkgs cream cheese
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c Bisquick
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t grated lemon peel

Mix all ingredients, beat until smooth, approximately 2 minutes, and pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F about 30 minutes, until puffed and the center is dry

Top with:

• 1 c sour cream
• 2 T sugar
• 2 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and pour over the top of the cheesecake.

Let cool, and refrigerate (if you can) 2-3 hours or until you can't stand it anymore.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but when this cools it loses some of it's "puff"

When you can't stand it any more---cut a piece and eat it!

Notes: I made this in a 9 1/2 in pie plate because that's all I have at our Georgia apartment. The recipe calls for a 9 in, I might even go slightly smaller to make it a little thicker. Not sure how would work at the "puffed" stage, though.

I did have a fresh lemon, but the skin didn't look that great, so instead of grated lemon peel I added a little fresh lemon juice--not sure exactly how much, I just gave a good couple of squeezes, it's delicious, but you can definitely taste the lemon slightly.

This cheesecake has a light, only slightly sweet taste. Which means you don't feel yucky if you eat two pieces back to back. Don't ask me how I know this.

As with most cheesecake, it would also be good with a few fresh berries or with just a bit of blueberry or cherry pie filling spooned on top. Cool whip would be good, too. Or fresh whipped cream if you want to Go There.

Good cooking, and good eating!