Gypsy Soul Life: The BEST - Italian NY Turtle Cheese Cake - Perfect for Holidays

Ingredients

16 oz. Ricotta (or) Small Curd Cottage Cheese (drained)
2 ( 8oz) Packages - Cream Cheese
2 Cup- Sour Cream
4- Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar ( white regular)
1/2 Cup - Melted Butter ( cooled down)
1/3 Cup - Corn Starch
1 TBS Vanilla

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F

Prepare Crust.

(2) Packages of Graham Crackers - Crushed Fine
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

* Mix all together and then in a 10" Cheese Cake Pan - pour crust mixture in and press down well on bottom and up the sides as much as you can. You do not have to make the crust go all the way to the top on the sides. Set your pan aside.

Prepare Cheese Cake Batter

In your Mixer Ricotta Cheese and Sugar in Mixing bowl and mix well. Add in softened cream cheese and blend well. Turn mixer to low and ad in eggs, melted butter, add in lemon juice and vanilla, mix well. Turn off mixer and with then "fold in " the sour cream. You do not want to mix on a mixer at this stage and incorporate more air. If you do you will not get that nice dense NY cheese Cake Style.
Pour your batter in your cheese cake pan and tap a few times gently to even out on top.
Place in preheated ( 325 degree F ) oven on center rack.
Bake 1 Hour and 15 Minutes
Turn off oven and let your cheese cake stay until cooled down. ( about 2-3 hours)
Remove from oven and place in fridge to chill.
When ready - run a knife around the edge of your cheese cake and remove from your Spring Form Pan.

You Can top your cheese cake with what ever you like. I happened to make Turtle Cheese Cake Topping - Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Gnash and Toasted Pecans. All the ingredients and directions to make everything home made easy as pie, for that and how to is below. It really is simple to do and make your own chocolate sauce, caramel and toasted pecans.

Chocolate Gnash

2 Cups of Powder Sugar
6 TBS - Cocoa Powder

Mix this us and then add in milk a splash at a time and whisk this, you want a nice thick but run off your whisk. - If you ad to much milk, don't worry just ad in more powder sugar and a bit more cocoa till you get the consistency you want. I always make extra and store in the fridge - makes a great ice cream topping as well.

Home Made Caramel Sauce

This cant be any easier than 1-2-3
2 Cup Brown Sugar
8 TBS Butter or Margarine
1/2 Cup Milk

On med heat in pan - add everyhing and mix with a whisk for about 5-7 minutes. When done transfer to a bowl or jar and let cool - it thickens when it cools ! Store left over in a mason jar, label it and makes for great ice cream topping or when ever you need caramel sauce. I pop mine in the microwave to soften when needed as well.

Toasted Pecans
Simply add your chopped pecans to a skillet, a few tablespoons of butter and a few table spoons of white sugar and let them cook while stirring for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on wax paper and let cool.