What's cookin': Cheesecake

What can I say, I'm all about dessert, the "worse for you" the better. This recipe's one I get called on routinely to make for gatherings at work and the like. Oh, and for those of you that are gluten-averse, I suspect you could do a fair replica of the crust using pulverized gluten-free cookie bits instead of graham cracker crumbs, but that's an experiment I'll leave to you. On to the goodness:

Ingredients

• 1 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 6 T. butter
• 1 1/2 c. sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 lb. cream cheese

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Small pan, suitable for melting butter
• Rubber spatula, bowl scraper, or equivalent
• Springform pan (8" or 9")

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 325F
• Melt 4T of butter
• Place graham cracker crumbs, 1/4c. of sugar, and melted butter into food processor, pulse to combine. You may need to scrape down the sides a bit to get the desired even texture.
• Pour the crumb mixture into the springform pan and distribute evenly across the bottom. Don't worry about being too exact, and don't expect to be able to compress this crust material... it'll come apart if you try, and it's totally unnecessary to do so.
• Set the remaining 2T of butter to melting
• Add the sour cream, remaining 1/2c. of sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the food processor and combine on low speed for 1 minute.
• Add the cream cheese in chunks to the food processor, then pulse to combine until smooth.
• Pour the last of the melted butter into the processor bowl, then pour the entire mess into the springform pan... it'll likely be viscous enough that you'll need to use your spatula to get it all out. Again, make sure the mixture spreads evenly throughout the pan.
• Place the pan in the lower third of your oven for 45 minutes
• Gently move the pan to a higher rack, and turn on your broiler... the goal is to get some browning of the top of your cheesecake, and (hopefully) minimize any cracking as it cools.
• Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

This is a tasty treat... depending on the group and the reason, I've found 8-12 servings works for this recipe. Some side notes for you...

• I'm not one for recommending specific brands normally, but I've found that the Philadelphia cream cheese works best for this recipe... I'm guessing the bargain brands have some ingredient variation that alters the final texture somewhat.
• Still on the cream cheese... I wouldn't recommend using "low-fat" or any other "non-real" cream cheese here... I forget where, but I heard that they won't "set up" properly.
• That 1-hour rest at room temperature is more than just a Good Thing... the cheesecake will still be quite warm when you're done with it, time during which the cheesecake will strengthen its internal structure and not be trying to cook nearby items in the refrigerator. For those of you with dairy-fiend kitties, letting it cool in the microwave isn't a bad idea... :)