Cheesecake Recipe

Okay here goes
Preheat oven: 300 degrees
Crust:
1 cup of zwiebach or vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix that together and line a 1o inch spring form pan

Filling:
1 lb cream cheese (2 pkgs Philadelphia regular)
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tblsps lemon juice (fresh is best you know)
1 cup sugar
1 lb. sour cream (the real deal - no lite stuff)

Mix cheese and yolks (one at a time), vanilla, lemon juice, sugar until smooth.
Add sour cream, mix until well blended.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in to the cheese mixture.
Spoon filling into spring form pan
Bake 1 hour
Turn off the heat and let it stand in the oven for 1 hour
Remove from oven
Cool in pan 1 hour on wire rack
With spatula, loosen sides and let it stand 2 hours.
Refrigerate :-)
Ok now what you need now is a can of Comstock Cherry Pie filling for the top.
When you're ready to bring this to the table - spoon the cherries on top.

FYI - i use the vanilla wafers not the zwiebach- i throw the wafers in my food processor and mash them to smithereenies! one could do this with zwiebach as well i'm sure. My mom's original recipe was with the zwiebach but hey... i don't have any babies in the house munching on zwiebach - not that i ever let them have one in the first place but i digress.... as per u-s-ual.
also today when i made the crust i ended up doubling the recipe just for the crust. it didn't seem thick enough and i wanted lots o'crust. not necessary but not a bad idea if you kwim :-)

I'm sure Gourmet or Bon Appetit or The next Food network star (will) or Top Chef Chefs will say - oh how could you put that gosh darned awful Comstock Cherry Pie filling on top - you MUST put some fresh fruit on top. (i love both magazines and both reality chef shows. they are wonderful however ~)
This chef sez fuggedaboudit.
I'm sorry but the cherry pie filling is AWESOME in combo with the tartness of the cheesecake and the sweetness of the crust. You really won't be sorry i swear - its just scrumptious -
truly :-)
i will post a picture with the cherry pie filling on top tomorrow -
bon appetit!