Grandma's cheesecake is the absolute best!

Cheesecake. Rich, luscious and indulgent! A favorite for my family is my mother-in-law's cheesecake. For us, the good news is that she taught me to make it almost as well. Now it’s my turn to teach you.

Let’s start with the ingredients. You will need the following:

Crust

2 cups graham crackers crumbs

1 stick butter

Filling

3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1 pint sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. For the crust, melt the stick of butter. You can do this easily by cutting the butter into chunks and microwaving them in a 13x9 glass baking pan. Add 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to the melted butter in the 13x9 pan. Mix the butter and crumbs, pressing the mixture onto the bottom of the pan evenly. Now, on to the filling. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese a minute or two. Then add the eggs, one at a time, as this will make the batter fluffier. Once you have blended in the eggs, add the sugar and vanilla. Pour this mix over graham crumb crust, smooth it with a spatula and bake one hour. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool 15 minutes; it may be light brown on top. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla and pour over the cheesecake. Put it back in oven for five more minutes. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool completely.

Resist the urge to eat it right away! Keep the cheesecake refrigerated until ready to serve.

My mother-in-law sometimes cuts the cheesecake into small pieces and places them in mini muffin paper cups, topping them with a cherry half to add a splash of color. Enjoy!