Blackberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake Extraordinaire

• Ready In: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Vanilla Cookie Crust

• 11  vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies, crushed
• 3  tablespoons  chopped  almonds, toasted
• 3  tablespoons butter or 3  tablespoons margarine, melted

• Blackberry Filling

• 24  ounces cream cheese
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup sour cream
• 5  teaspoons cornstarch
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3  eggs
• 1  egg yolk
• 1⁄2 cup  sweet  blackberry wine
• 2  teaspoons  almond extract
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2⁄3 cup fresh blackberries (or frozen, thawed and drained blackberries)
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped  almonds, toasted

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the crushed cookies and chopped almonds; stir in melted butter until well combined.
2. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
3. In a big bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
4. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
5. Add in eggs and egg yolk, one at a time; beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in the sweet blackberry wine, almond extract, and vanilla extract; stir in the blackberries and almonds.
7. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
8. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; decrease heat to 225° and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny.
9. Remove cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.
10. Chill, uncovered, overnight.