• Ingredients
• 
  1 cup graham-cracker crumbs
  1/2 cup California walnuts finely chopped
  1/3 cup butter melted (cooled it to room temp)
  1 3/4 cups sugar divided
  24 oz cream cheese 3 8-oz pkgs
  6 large eggs
  2 cups sour cream
  2 tbsp cornstarch
  1 tbsp lemon juice
  2 tsp vanilla extract

Cherry Topping

• 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
• 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl with a fork, mix first three ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar. Press mixture firmly on bottom and around side of 9″ x 3″ springform pan to within 1 1/2″ of the top.
• In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; slowly beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar. With mixer at low speed, beat in eggs (one at a time) and remaining ingredients, except cherry topping. At medium speed, beat three minutes.
• I recommend a water bath to gently bake the cheesecake. Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with heavy duty foil. 
• Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan. Place cheesecake pan in the center of a roasting pan and gently add a couple inches of water. Carefully place the entire thing into the preheated over and bake 1 hour or until lightly browned.
• Turn off the oven and open the door partially. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is better.
• To serve: remove side of pan. With large spatula; loosen cake from pan bottom, slide onto plate.
• Mix together all topping ingredients. Spoon cherry topping evenly over cheesecake.

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