Aunt Marlene's Cheesecake With Cinnamon Graham Crust

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, not kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups sour cream (1 1/2 pints)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled (or blueberries)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 dash red food coloring, if using strawberries

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 375 degrees and place oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• 2 throughly mix ingredients for crust.
• 3 press them into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan (10" ok too). do sides too if you can.
• 4 chill the crust about one hour or more.
• 5 combine eggs, cream cheese, sugar, salt, flour, vanilla extract, almond extract and beat until smooth with an electric mixer at medium speed.
• 6 now blend in sour cream. don't over beat the mixture as this causes air to get into the batter and causes cracks later.
• 7 pour this mixture into the crust and bake, on a middle oven rack about 60 minutes, until it sets. it will lightly brown and not jiggle much when moved. (i used a cookie sheet with some water in it and i put foil around the bottom of the spring form pan). do not open the oven within the first 30 minutes of cooking.
• 8 let cake cool on a wire rack at room temperature completely, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
• 9 invert the cake to serve, so that the crumbs are on the top. serve like this or with the glaze on top or along side.
• 10 for the glaze: cook the berries in 3/4 cup water until simmering.
• 11 mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and pour into berry mixture and add sugar. bring to a boil, stir constantly, until thick and clear, a couple of minutes. add the red food coloring if using strawberries.
• 12 chill the glaze and coat the top of the cake or serve along side the cake.