-NUTTY CRUMB CRUST-
5 oz Simple cookies (to obtain
-1-1/4 cups crumbs)
1/4 c Walnut or pecan halves
3 tb Sugar
6 tb (a little less than 1/2 cup)
-unsalted butter melted.
CHEESE FILLING
16 oz Cream cheese, cut into
-pieces and softened
1/2 c Sour cream
3/4 c Sugar
3 lg Eggs
1 lg Lemon, grated rind of
1 ts Vanilla extract
-SOUR-CREAM TOPPING-
1 1/2 c Sour cream
3 tb Sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
Crust: Preheat oven to 160 C (350 F). Process cookies in a food processor
to fine crumbs, or put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Measure 1-1/4 cups. Chop nuts. Mix crumbs with nuts and sugar. Add melted
butter and mix well. Lightly butter a 23-cm (9 in.) springform pan. Press
nut mixture in an even layer on bottom and about 2-1/2 cm (1 in.) up sides
of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Leave oven at 160
C/350 F.
Filling: Beat cream cheese with sour cream at low speed until very smooth.
Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one by one. Beat in lemon rind. If
using a vanilla bean, scrape its seeds with point of a knife into cheese
mixture; or stir in vanilla extract. Carefully pour filling into cooled
crust and bake about 45 minutes or until firm in center. Remove from oven
and cool for 15 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 200 C (390 F).
Topping: Mix together sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Carefully spread
topping on cake in an even layer, without letting it drop over crust.
Return cake to oven and bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room
temperature. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. (Cake can be kept
3 days in refrigerator.) Remove sides of springform pan just before
serving.
General tip: For cutting cheesecakes, if you do not have a cutting wire,
use dental floss. Grip a length of floss with both hands; cut down through
the cake; then draw the floss out one side at the bottom (as opposed to
pulling it back up through the cake). This gives each slice a sharp,
straight edge.
Yields
8 -10 servin
