Happy National Cheesecake Day!

I don't know why we need a National Cheesecake Day, but mmmm do I love me some cheesecake.

If you live near a Cheesecake Factory, their slices are 1/2 price today. If not, here's the recipe for the best cheesecake I've ever had:

Ingredients
- 1 box Famous Amos cookies
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 1/2 pounds (5 packages) cream cheese, softened
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 5 whole eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 squares Baker's white baking chocolate (2 packages)

Instructions
1. Open bag of cookies slightly and press out air. Crush cookies into a fine powder using a rolling pin, wine bottle, or by hand if nothing else is handy.
2. Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter in microwave and combine with cookie crumbs in bowl. Mix well.
3. Press half of the buttered cookie crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan.
4. Soften cream cheese in microwave on LOW for a few minutes, being careful not to burn.
5. Beat well and add (one at a time): sugar, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and chocolate.
6. Use remaining butter to butter the sides of the springform pan to keep it from sticking. Then pour 1/2 batter into springform pan on top of crust.
7. Bake in oven at 200º F for ~3 hours or until cake is reasonably firm to the touch (it should still jiggle as it is removed from oven). Butter from crust will drip, so make sure to have a second pan or cookie sheet underneath to catch the drippings.
8. Turn off oven but leave cake in for up to an hour to allow it to cool. This will prevent cracking.
9. Refridgerate overnight.

Notes
Makes 2 cheesecakes. Additionally, while mixing initially, be very cautious of using a hand mixer. Unless your cream cheese is very warm it will be very thick and can potentially burn out hand mixers.