Cherry Cheesecake

Crust prepared from graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Crust topped with mixture of cream cheese, fresh lemon juice, whipping cream and sugar. Cheesecake is topped with cherry pie filling and chilled several hours to overnight to set.

Ingredients -

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/3 cup Butter, melted
2 (8 ounces each) packages Cream Cheese
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 (21 ounces) can Cherry Pie Filling

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of an 8 or 10 inch springform pan. Chill until firm.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and lemon juice until soft. Add whipping cream and beat with an electric mixer until batter becomes thick. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff.

3. Pour into chilled crust, and top with pie filling.

4. Chill several hours or overnight. Just before serving, remove the sides of the springform pan.

Cheesecake Making Tips -

Cherries

Fresh cherries have a very short peak growing season that begins in the late spring and runs through mid-summer. Fresh cherries are generally sold individually, so take the time to sort through and pick out the best specimens for purchase. Store fresh cherries in the refrigerator in loosely wrapped plastic bags for up to 4 days.