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1
Set out all dairy and eggs to come to room temperature before beginning to mix
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2
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
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3
Wrap bottom and sides of springform pan with foil to prevent leaks
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4
Gently butter sides of springform pan
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5
Mix together graham crackers, melted butter, brown sugar and cinammon, and then spread into springform pan - with a thicker layer on the bottom and some crumbs on the sides of the springform pan. Gently pat down the crumbs with the back of a spoon.
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6
Bake the cracker crust for approx 10 minutes until fragrant and a little more golden in color. Do not burn.
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7
Beat cream cheese on low to medium with a paddle attachment - you do not want to incorporate too much air.
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8
Add 1 cup sugar and mix. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl until sugar isn't gritty.
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9
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, then gradually add to the cream cheese mixture
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10
Add 8 ounces of sour cream to cream cheese mixture
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11
Add the vanilla extract and the lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture just until incorporated
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12
Pour batter through a sieve (to ensure no lumps), into springform pan, place a sheet pan underneath and place in oven. You can cover the cheesecake with a second sheet pan for the first 15-30 minutes of baking to keep it moist and prevent burning.
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13
Remove sheet pan from top of cheesecake, and continue to bake until cheesecake has risen slightly and the center only slightly jiggles instead of waves of liquid motion.
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14
If your oven has uneven hot spots, rotate the cake every 15-20 minutes
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15
Cheesecake may take an hour or even 80 minutes to fully bake. You will know when its done when it only gently wobbles in the middle.
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16
After cake is done, turn off oven and crack open oven door with a wooden spoon to let it gradually cool
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17
Wrap tightly inside the springform pan and chill for a few hours or overnight before serving. Before releasing the springform pan sides, take a thin offset spatula or flat edged knife to loosen the crust from the wall.
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18
For the top, I prefer to take 8 ounces of sour cream and mix gently with a little sugar, then spread on top
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19
Sprinkle top with freshly grated nutmeg or decorate with fresh berries
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20
Use a warm knife to cut slices cleanly
