Crystal In The Kitchen: No-Bake Cheesecake

Baking is a current hobby of mine. I use to bake a lot with family, but somehow I grew out of it, but I found myself back to baking. I love to bake cookies, cakes, pies, and more. I want to learn many more things and share my experiments. I am now learning to bake from scratch, and although my desserts don't always come out good, I am still learning. So today I share the famous, classic Cheesecake.

Ingredients: 

• 2 packages of graham crackers
• 1 3/8 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps: 

1. Put graham crackers in a large resealable plastic bag, and crush them until very fine crumbs form. 
2. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl; stir in sugar. Add butter, and stir until well combined. 
3. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or a round pan, spreading it 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side; press flat. Chill crust in freezer at least 10 minutes. 
4. Make the filling: Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed or spoon, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the condensed milk a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. 
   
   
5. Pour the filling into the crust; smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, 5+ hours or overnight.  
6. You can top your cheesecake with cherries, berries, etc., but if not, then ENJOY YOUR CHEESECAKE! 
   
   
   I hope you enjoy this recipe, and stay tuned for more!