(click thru for more photos and reader reviews and testimonials)
serves 6 to 8
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used gluten free crumbs)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon melted butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I nuked mine for 30 seconds to get it soft)
3/4 cup granulated white sugar (I like Baker's Sugar because the granules are so small)
2 large eggs, room temperature (I put the eggs in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes)
1/4 cup heavy cream (mmm. cream.)
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract (not imitation!)
1 tablespoon flour (I used gluten free flour)
Directions.
Find a heat-resistant dish that will fit into your crockpot for the cheesecake. You are going to create a bain marie, or water bath.
I tried a round cake pan in a 4 quart round, and that fit too.
But I opted for my 6 quart, because I'm more comfortable with how it heats.
In a plastic zipper bag, beat the animal crackers into crumbs with a rolling pin.
Put a cup of the crumbs into a medium bowl, and add melted butter and brown sugar.
Stir until it's wet and crumby.
Press the crumbs into the bottom of the dish you are going to use.
In a separate bowl, cream the cheese, sugar, eggs, flour, cream, and vanilla with a hand-mixer.
Unless you have one of those fancy Kitchen Aids. Then use that.
Pour the cheese mixture on top of the crust. Lick the bowl.
Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to the bottom of your crockpot.
Lower the dish inside, being careful to not slosh water into your cheesecake.
Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Check after 1 hour, just in case.
The cheesecake is done when the edges are no longer shiny and have set.
Touch lightly to see that you don't get a bunch of stuff on your finger---then you know it's done.
My cheesecake wasn't perfectly set in the middle, but I unplugged the crock anyhow.
I cooked it for exactly 2 hours.
Let the cheesecake sit in the cooling crockpot for an hour, before removing and transferring to the refrigerator.
Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before cutting and serving.
The Verdict.
wow. This was a complete success. I couldn't get enough.
I had weird hallucinations of being a cross between Homer Simpson "Mmmm. Cheesecake." and Rose from the Golden Girls "nothing can't be fixed with cheesecake."
I was quite pleased that the texture was moist and gooey, yet perfectly set and just like a good quality cheesecake.
so very awesome.
:-)
