the best breakfast EVER

Told Jack that he had to leave me one piece of his birthday cheesecake for my breakfast...

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Cheesecake Royale

This recipe is adapted from one that I learned to make in a class taught by Camille Glen, a long-time Courier-Journal food writer and excellent cook. 

It gets better if left for a couple of days in the refrigerator and then served at room temperature. It is EXCELLENT for breakfast, the day after you serve it for a dinner dessert!

ingredients

Butter for baking dish

1/2 cup ground vanilla wafers (or ginger snaps)*

2 lbs cream cheese (at room temperature)

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 eggs

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cognac vanilla

preparation

Butter generously an 8x3 round baking dish or 2-quart souffle dish. Press crumbs on the sides and bottom of dish, reserving some for the top of the cheesecake.*

Cream cheese with an electric mixer until perfectly smooth. Add cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinkle crumbs on top.*

Set the pan inside a slightly wider pan and pour water in to the depth of 1/2 inch. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 hours. Then turn off the heat and let the cake set in the oven for another hour. Cool 30 minutes.

Run a sharp, thin knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it. Place a round plate over the cake and turn both upside down to unmold the cake. Refrigerate until 2 hours before serving.

* Sometimes I don't include the crumbs and just decorate the top with fresh berries.