Original Philly Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in bowl. Mix until the crumbs are moist. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let the pan cool on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and blended. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites (use a rotary beater or mixer with clean beaters) until stiff peaks form.

Fold the whipped egg whites into the cream cheese filling. Transfer the cheesecake filling to the crust and spread the filling evenly over the bottom of the springform pan.

Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Let the cheesecake cool completely then place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours. Remove the sides of the springform pan once the cheesecake has cooled.

Garnish the Philly cheesecake as desired with fruit, pie filling, sweet sauces, etc. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.