Instructions: I have been making this cheesecake for nearly 15 years, and in that time have experimented, but never improved upon the basic recipe. It is so delicious, (rich, but not too sweet) easy, and always comes out perfect!

Its also great as a last minute dessert, as it takes a minimum of effort and fuss.

All ingredients should be at room temp.

Method: In an 8 or 9" square pan, mash cream cheese with a fork until it is very soft. Add sugar, flour, and salt, blend well.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix briskly and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the pan as you go.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan, then spread cherries on top. Chill and serve.

Notes: I dont often use the topping, and of course its easy to substitute any kind of pie filling as a topping. Ive also used sugar-free spreadable fruit (mmm, marmalade!) to "glaze" the top, and if you like chocolate chip cheesecake, stir in a 1/2 cup or so of the mini-chips. Ive also added a couple of Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa to the batter for a light, subtle chocolate flavor. Its also a delicious cheesecake when served _plain!_

Another way Ive been doing this is to put foil cupcake papers on a cookie sheet, or in a cupcake tin and bake them as individuals cheesecakes. They take 20-25 minutes in
*my* oven in this form.

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