Cherry Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 21 ounces cherry pie filling
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f in a medium bowl with a fork, mix first three ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar. press mixture firmly on bottom and around side of 9" x 3" springform pan to within 1 1/2" of the top.
• 2 in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; slowly beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar. with mixer at low speed, beat in eggs (one at a time) and remaining ingredients, except cherry topping. at medium speed, beat three minutes.
• 3 pour mixture into pan; bake 1 hour or until lightly browned. turn off oven; leave in oven at least 2 hours. remove; cool in pan on rack. cover; chill.
• 4 cherry topping: mix all three ingredients together and set aside.
• 5 to serve: remove side of pan. with large spatula; loosen cake from pan bottom, slide onto plate. spoon cherry topping evenly over cheesecake.