Happy Cheesecake Day – The Best Cheesecake Recipe Ever

Today is National Cheesecake Day.  I love cheesecake. I love eating cheesecake. I even like looking at pictures of cheesecake. The picture above is a beautiful cheesecake Todd's family made. If there was a Playboy magazine for cheesecake it would be a centerfold. I have to say though, my mother makes the best cheesecake ever. Here is my mom's recipe for the best cheesecake I have ever eaten or made.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter
2 lbs cream cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 pint sour cream
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Mix together the cracker crumbs and melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
In a mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Add 2 eggs, one at a time. Mix it up good. Now add the vanilla and a 1/2 tsp of almond extract. Mix until creamy.
Pour the mixture over the crumbs and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour. While that is baking, combine the sour cream, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp almond extract and lemon juice and set aside. Use this mixture to pour over the top then bake an additional 8 minutes. Let it cool and then refrigerate 3-4 hours before devouring.