28 by 28: Luby's No-Bake Fluffy Cheesecake

Of all the dishes on my 28 by 28 list, the Luby's Fluffy Cheesecake (aka Cream Cheese Pie) was the one I'd been most looking forward to trying.  Growing up, there was no greater treat than a slab of this delicious graham-cracker covered goodness, and I wondered if an in-home rendition would do it justice.  I am happy to say that it did!  I found the official recipe on a Texas Monthly message board and have scaled it down for a single pie.  While the original recipe calls for a "graham cracker crust," don't make the mistake of throwing all that decadence in one of those pre-fab cardboard crusts from the grocery store.  A homemade crust, thrown together with a few common ingredients and lightly baked, is an absolute must.

Notes:
I have made this pie several times now and it turns out delicious every time.  I have had a couple of questions about why my slice looks a little wilted in this picture.  When I made it that time, I sort of forgot to pre-whip the cream before adding in the other ingredients (Whoops!).  That made it much softer than usual.  If you follow the directions as written, you will end up with the same lovely texture as the slices you buy at Luby's.
 
Graham Cracker Crust
Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS 
1.  Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well-mixed. Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. 

2.  Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 5 minutes. Cool before filling.

No-Bake Fluffy Cheesecake, aka Cream Cheese Pie
From the kitchen of the Kerrville, Texas Luby's, via Texas Monthly

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter (or oleo), room temperature
1.5 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1/4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Graham cracker crust (see above)
Graham cracker crumbs for topping

DIRECTIONS
Cream together first three ingredients until fluffy. Blend in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Add the whipped cream. Pour into a graham cracker crust and sprinkle top with graham cracker crumbs. Chill 3 or 4 hours.