Cherry Cheesecake

Submitted by: CHERYL GREEN of Christiansburg, VA

CHERRY CHEESECAKE W/ CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST

Chocolate vanilla nut crumb crust:

• 1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers (29)

• 1 cup ground nuts

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder

• ½ cup butter melted

• 3 squares of chocolate coating mix

Mix powder, crumbs, and nuts in a bowl. Then add melted butter and stir well. Press mixture against sides and bottom of a springform pan and bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Melt three squares of chocolate coating mix and spread on cooked crust to seal. Cool.

Cheesecake:

• 3 cups of cherry pie filling for top of cake set aside.

• 3 8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese softened and whipped.

• 1 ½ cups of sugar sifted with 2  TBL of corn starch add to cheese mixture and whip.

• 4 eggs room temp. added one at a time and mixed well

• 1-pint sour cream mixed into the batter.

• ½ cup whipping cream (do not whip) mixed into batter

• 1 tsp vanilla, 1 TBL fresh lemon juice, 1 TBL lemon extract add to mixture.

Bake in greased two-piece springform or bunt pan at 350 for one hour. Leave in the oven to cool down for one hour. When cool put cherry pie filling on top. Can be made ahead it improves with age.