Aunt Marlenes Cheesecake With Cinnamon Graham Crust Food

CINNAMON 'ROLL' CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine 1 cup graham crumbs, 1/2 of the butter and 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar; press onto bottom of 10-inch cast-iron skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Combine remaining graham crumbs and butter with nuts, cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the remaining granulated sugar; reserve for later use.
• Beat cream cheese with vanilla and remaining granulated sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Pour 2 cups batter over crust; sprinkle with 1/2 of the reserved graham crumb mixture. Top with 1/2 of the remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining graham crumb mixture. Cover with remaining batter; smooth top with back of spoon. Place skillet on baking sheet, then place in oven.
• Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Whisk powdered sugar and milk until blended. Spread over top of cheesecake.

AUNT MARLENE'S CHEESECAKE WITH CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUST

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.

CREAMY CHEESECAKE WITH CINNAMON PECAN CRUST

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter in 9" pie pan while oven is pre-heating.
• Mix together crushed Cinnamon Crisp graham crackers, chopped pecans and brown sugar.
• Add to melted butter in pie pan and mix well. Gently push up sides and on to bottom of pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
• In a large bowl combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, the eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla and lemon peel. Mix with electric mixer until well blended and then mix another couple of minutes longer. This seems to fluff it up a bit.
• Pour into graham cracker crust and bake for about 30 minutes until it looks set and is firm to the touch. Do not overbake as it will crack on top.
• While the cheesecake is baking mix together sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended and sugar has disolved.
• Remove cheesecake from oven and pread sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least four hours.