Cherry Cheesecake

Hello– This cheese cake uses my sis’s world’s best cheesecake recipe as a starting point– with just a few cherries thrown in.  Thanks Lulu!  She’s the best cook ever and I’ve learned so much from her– no one I’d rather share a kitchen with!!

CHERRY CHEESE CAKE

Crust:
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tab. sugar
1  1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Cheesecake:
3 -8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1  1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup of cherries, pitted and cut to small bits

topping:
3 cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 tab. water
2 tab cornstarch
2 tab. sugar

This is my handy-dandy olive pitter from years ago when we lived in Spain.  Works for cherries too!

Mix together the melted butter, 2 tab. sugar and graham cracker crumbs and then press them into the bottom of a 9″ to 10″ springform pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until blended.  Then beat in the eggs and sour cream.  Finally, gently fold in the cherries and then spoon he mixture in over the crust.

Put it into a 350 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes.  It will still be a little “jiggly,” but will firm as it cools.

For the topping, pit the cherries.  Then in a heavy saucepan, stir together the 2 tab. sugar and cornstarch until there are no lumps.  Add the water the stir over medium heat until it simmers and thickens, just about a minute.  Then drop in the cherries and cook a minute more.

Remove from the heat and let the cherry topping cool completely before you spoon onto the top of the cake.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it up.  Bon Apetit!