Cheesecake Supreme

This is from Better Homes & Gardens

My husband loves cheesecake, so I spent several years looking for a really good cheesecake recipe.  This is our favorite!  You can also make a double batch in a quarter sheet cake.  Put the crumb crust on the bottom of the quater sheet cake and not on the sides as you would with a single batch in a spring form pan. It cooks a little fater when in the quarter sheet cake, so keep an eye on it.

2	Cups crushed graham crackers (about 32 squares)
½	teaspoon ground cinnamon
½	Cup butter, melted
3	8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1	Cup sugar
2	Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon vanilla
2	Eggs
1	Egg yolk
¼	Cup milk

1. For crust, combine crushed crackers and cinnamon.  Stir in butter.  If desired, reserve ¼ cup of the crumb mixture for topping, (I don’t do this.)  Press remaining mixture onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of an un-greased 8- or 9-inch springform pan.  Set crust aside.

2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, flour vanilla with an electric mixer until combined.  Add eggs and egg yolk all at once, beating on low speed just until combined.  Stir in milk.

3. Pour filling into crust-lined pan.  If desired sprinkle with reserved crumbs.  Place in a shallow baking pan in oven.  Bake in a 375 F oven for 45 to 50 minutes for an 8-inch pan, 35 to 40 minutes for a 9-inch pan, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

4. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.  Loosen crust from sides of pan; cool 30 minutes more.  Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Hints for a perfect cheesecake from Better Homes and Gardens Baking Cookbook:

1. Let you ingredients stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  This eases the mixing process.
2. Blend cheese and sugar thoroughly before adding anything else; once the batter thins, it is difficult to smooth out the lumps.
3. Avoid overbeating, especially after adding the eggs.  Overbeating incorporates too much air, causing the cake to putt, then fall and crack.
4. Don’t overbake.  An overbaked cheesecake is a dry and cracked cheesecake, so check it at the minimum baking time.  The cheesecake is done when the center appears nearly set.  A 1-inch area at its center will juggle slightly when the cheesecake is done (it will firm up as the cake cools).  Don’t do a knife or toothpick test in the cake’s center-it makes a crack.  And if there is sour cream in the batter, the knife won’t come out clean even when the cheesecake is done’
5. Set the timer for the exact cooling time given in the recipe.  When it rings, carefully loosen the crust of the cheesecake form the pan.   If you wait, the cheesecake may begin pulling away from he sides and crack.