Basic Cheesecake

3 low fat honey graham crackers, broken into pieces 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 pound low fat cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Calories 317 (49% from fat) • carb. 30g • pro. 11g • fat 17g • sat. fat 10g • chol. 103mg • sod. 500mg • fiber 0g

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Wrap the bottom and sides of a 7 x 3-inch springform pan in a sheet of oversized aluminum foil. There should be no seams in the foil, and it should come up to the top of the pan. Cut off any excess. Insert the metal blade. Process the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs; add the sugar and the butter through the feed tube and process until the butter can no longer be seen. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Put in the freezer until ready to fill. Wipe out the work bowl with a paper towel. Insert the metal blade. Process the cream cheese until smooth, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla through the feed tube and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl. With the machine running, add one egg; process to incorporate, about 5 to 10 seconds; scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the second egg; process to incorporate, 5 to 10 seconds; scrape the work bowl; process for 5 seconds longer. Do not overprocess. Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared pan. Place in a roasting pan, and set on the rack of the oven. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. This is called a water bath or bain marie. Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. The cheesecake will still look jiggly in the center. (Do not worry – it will firm up as it cools.) Remove the cheesecake from the bain marie, remove the foil, and place on a rack. Cool completely on a rack, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.