Mongiello's Famous Italian Cheesecake

My grandfather came over from Italy, as they called it, "on the boat". And with my grandfather came dozens of the finest recipes ever. Here is a family favorite.

2 eight ounce packages of cream cheese
l lb. Ricotta
l pt. sour cream
l small package marscapone cheese (optional) depends how Italian you are, but it comes out just fine with or without it.
4 large eggs
1/4 lb. melted butter
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla (the real stuff)
3 tbsp. of flour and 3 tbsp. of cornstarch mixed
1 1/2 cups of sugar

Blend the cream cheese with the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, add the melted butter, beat again. Add the lemon juice and the ricotta and beat again.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well, real well. Add the vanilla and the flour/cornstarch mixture and beat at least five minutes. Add sour cream and beat again till smooth and creamy. Bake at 325 degrees in a large size springform pan lined with the graham cracker lining listed below. Bake for one hour, do not open the oven. Then turn off the oven and let it sit for two more hours in the off oven. Chill, put strawberries on top, whatever you like, or just put a dab of whipped cream. Everyone in our family has their preference. One sister likes blueberries, all six of us used to fight over what was put on top. My mother was a very patient woman.

Graham cracker lining
melt three tbsp. of butter and put in the bottom of the springform pan. Add three quarters of a cup of graham cracker crumbs, mix and spread over the bottom of the pan. Press to even our.

Then eat the very best cheesecake you have ever, ever had. You like cheesecake? Trust me this is cheesecake heaven. It makes a lot of cake and it gets even better as it sits. Your friends and family will be begging you for the recipe. Even if they are not Pizons. (I hope I spelled pizons right, but if you are Italian you will get it). Eat, Mangia. By the way Mongiello in Italian means they eat, and boy did our family eat!