Shelly's Recipe

COMPANY CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

For crust, combine: 1 3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Press on bottom and up 2/3 of sides of 9 inch springform pan.

For filling, beat until smooth:
3 well-beaten eggs
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract

Blend in 3 cups dairy sour cream.

Chocolate swirl garnish
Pour filling into crust. Bake at 375 about 35 min or just till set; cool. Chill 4-5 hours (filling will be soft).

Garnish: Melt 3 squares of semi-sweet chocolate. Pour melted chocolate onto waxed paper and spread into 2 inch wide strip. Let stand till cool but not firm. Pull vegetable peeler across chocolate (or maybe new cheese knife would work), and transfer curls to a plate. Store curls in freezer. Garnish cheesecakes before serving. Serves 12-16.

Variation: Use chocolate wafers instead of graham crackers and drizzle syrup on cheesecake before baking, then take knife and swirl throughout cheesecake.