Elegant Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Directions:

1. Soften cream cheese to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 dg. Lightly grease (or spray with Pam) bottom and sides of a 10 springform pan.
3. Mix together ground nuts and graham cracker crumbs. Add 3 T melted butter and mix with fork until crumbly. Press into bottom of springform pan and bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and set aside.
4. Place jellyroll pan with sides on bottom rack of oven and fill 1/2 full with warm water. Close door and continue heating.
5. Put cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat thoroughly with electric mixer until smooth and pour over crust. Place baking pan on rack above water bath pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until filling is almost set. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off) and let stand for 15 minutes.
6. Blend sour cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer and pour over cake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven. If cheesecake is slightly jiggly, don't worry. It will firm up while refrigerated.
7. Refrigerate at least 6 hours (I refrigerate overnight at this point and finish up the next day.).
8. Remove cheesecake from springform pan (running knife around sides to prevent sticking) and put on serving platter.
9. Arrange whole strawberries pointed side up evenly over top of cheesecake.
10. Prepare glaze by mixing water and cornstarch over low heat in saucepan until well mixed, stirring constantly. Add jelly and heat, stirring constantly until jelly mixture melts and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice or liqueur. Cool to room temperature.
11. Spoon glaze over all until small amount drips down sides of cake. (Perhaps there may be slightly more glaze than needed, but it can be saved to heat and pour over ice cream another time.).
12. Serve and enjoy!
13. (NOTE: If you wish you could cook the cheesecake in a water bath to avoid cracking a bit on top. I don't, because the top is covered with the preserves and strawberries so it doesn't show anyway!).