AUNT MARLENE'S CHEESECAKE WITH CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUST

Aunt Marlene's Cheesecake With Cinnamon Graham Crust image

Provided by Oolala

Time 1h30m

Yield 1 cake, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

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

Steps:

Heat oven to 375 degrees and place oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Throughly mix ingredients for crust.
Press them into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan (10" ok too). Do sides too if you can.
Chill the crust about one hour or more.
Combine eggs, cream cheese, sugar, salt, flour, vanilla extract, almond extract and beat until smooth with an electric mixer at medium speed.
Now blend in sour cream. Don't over beat the mixture as this causes air to get into the batter and causes cracks later.
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.
Let cake cool on a wire rack at room temperature completely, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
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.
For the Glaze: Cook the berries in 3/4 cup water until simmering.
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.
Chill the glaze and coat the top of the cake or serve along side the cake.