Cheesecake Supreme

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup milk
• Fruit Sauce (see recipe, page 139) (optional)

Instructions

1. For crust, combine crushed crackers, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir in margarine or butter. Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture for topping, if desired. Press remaining firmly onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a mixer bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and, if desired, lemon peel. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and yolk all at once, beating on low speed just till combined. Stir in milk. Pour into crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs, if any. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. Bake in a 375° oven for 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch pan (35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch pan) or till center appear nearly set when shaken. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more; remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve with Fruit Sauce, if desired.
3. Sour Cream Cheesecake: Prepare as above, except reduce cream cheese to 2 packages and omit the milk. Add three 8-ounce cartons dairy sour cream with the eggs. Bake in 8 inch pan about 55 minutes (9-inch pan, 50 minutes).
4. Liqueur Cheesecake: Prepare as above, except substitute white crème de menthe, crème de cacao, coffee liqueur, or amaretto for milk.
5. Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake: Prepare as above, except omit lemon peel. Stir 2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled into half of the batter. Pour half of each batter mixture into crust; repeat. Use a spatula to gently swirl batters.