New York Cheesecake

For the crust (makes one 9-inch crust):

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. In a 9 inch spingform pan, with a spoon, press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

For the cheesecake:

1. After you bake the crust, lower the heat in the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy – about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour and vanilla until just combined. Reduce the speed to low and add in the eggs and egg yolk. Beat in the milk until just blended.

* I layer the chopped up chocolate pieces on top of the crust before adding the batter, but the chocolate is optional. The cheesecake is delicious with or without the chocolate layer.

3. Pour the batter into the pan on top of the crust (and the chocolate if you used it). Bake until the egdes are set and the middle jiggles slightly, 55-60 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to prevent cracking during cooling.
4. Cool cheesecake in pan on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours before removing the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours. Enjoy.