Why is Cheesecake my favorite dessert? It’s the first dessert I watched being prepared from beginning to end. I remember the surroundings, I remember my mother’s company, Ms. Lynn; they chatted she whipped. Cream cheese 4 packs (32 oz.), a bit of sour cream 1/4 cup for a nice tang she’d say… Not missing a step she whipped and chatted for what seemed like forever; not the chatting but the whipping OK maybe a lot of the chatting too!

Now the sweet stuff! The stuff that life’s worth living for Condensed milk, 1 can, 1 cup sugar…”Mommy”! That’s a lot of sugar! Mind your business (in Patwa) Get all your tasting in now! After I add these eggs there’s no more tasting! (spoken in Patwa)

Three eggs she cracked one at a time only to dig out what Jamaicans call the “EYE”! The smell of vanilla, like a dream comes next! I so hated the layout of that kitchen back then looking back. My age then, elementary school days 4th grade I’d say.

I digress… The smell of lemon as she rolled it on the counter to release the juices was also added, the taste of eggs in baked goods NO BUENO! That was the filling. Back then she didn’t make her own crust she bought the already made graham cracker crust; 2 of them. I love to play with making my own crusts now. I will be combining graham crackers and walnuts for this cheesecake tonight.

For Crust:

-1 1/2 cup graham cracker  crumbs

-6 tbsp. melted butter

-1/4 cup granulated sugar

**Add nuts for an added bite, I added walnuts here**.

Freeze: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Bake 8-10 minutes

Used 9in. Springfoam Pan

Filling:

3 packs Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Sour Cream

1 can condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

4 tsp. Lemon Juice

3 eggs

1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

My shortcut: I used the Ninja to pulse crust and to mix my filling. Add ingredients as listed.