Mordino Cheesecake

One of my favorite cheesecake recipes to make comes from a family friend, Kathy Mordino. This cheesecake is made with ricotta, cream cheese and sour cream and it's delicious! It doesn't have a crust (just a thin dusting of graham cracker crumbs) which makes it very simple to make. You can easily make this gluten-free by eliminating the graham cracker crumbs or finely chopping pecans or almonds and using those crumbs instead - this is what I just did with pecans in a small food processor and it worked perfectly.

Remember to let the cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature first so the batter is not lumpy. I let the ricotta and sour cream sit out for a while as well. Also, check the cheesecake after 1 hour to see if it's done. Mine cracked as it cooled down and deflated - this is not a big deal, it's very common and will still taste great.

This recipe makes a lot of batter, so I bake it in a 10" springform pan so it does not overflow (I also have a 9" pan and this recipe overflowed in it!). I put the pan on top of a cookie sheet which makes it easier to take in and out of the oven but also prevents a mess.

I usually serve this with a bowl of cherry topping on the side so people can put them on top of their slice of cheesecake if they wish. Another delicious alternative is a raspberry sauce to drizzle on top.

Mordino Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Kathy Mordino

Delicious!  (Better if not frozen)

 

Graham cracker crumbs – 2 crackers

1 pound ricotta cheese

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1½ cups sugar

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 cup corn starch

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup margarine, melted

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream

 

Grease 1 spring-form pan.  Dust with graham cracker crumbs.  Put ricotta cheese in large mixing bowl.  Add cream cheese.  Beat at high speed until creamy.  Beating at high speed, blend in sugar, and then add eggs.  Reduce speed to low and add corn starch, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Add melted margarine and sour cream.  Blend at low speed.  Pour into prepared pan.

 

Bake at 325° for one hour and ten minutes or until firm around edges.  Turn off oven and let it stay in oven for two hours.  Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely.  Chill.