Very Berry Cheesecake

***CRUST*** 3/4 cup graham cracker cookie crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine -- melted

***FILLING*** 1 container -- (8 oz.) cream-style

-- cottage cheese 2 packages cream cheese -- or neufchatel

-- cheese at room -- temperature (8 oz. -- each) 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 pinch salt

4 large eggs -- at room temperature

1 container -- (8 oz.) sour cream

fresh strawberries -- for garnish fresh blueberries -- for garnish fresh raspberries -- for garnish ***DOUBLE STRAWBERRY SAUCE*** 2 packages frozen strawberries in light syrup -- thawed (10 oz.

-- each) 1 pint fresh strawberries -- thinly sliced

1. Heat oven to 350?F.

2. Make crust: Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Combine cookie crumbs, walnut s, brown sugar and butter in small bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Pat crumbs evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on wire rac k (keep oven on). Tightly cover bottom and sides of springform pan with heavy- duty foil.

3. Make filling: Meanwhile, puree cottage cheese in food processor or blender until smooth. Beat cream cheese in large mixing bowl at medium-high speed unti l light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in cottage cheese. Gradually beat in suga r, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula, until mixture is completely smoo th, 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Beat in lemon juice, vanilla, lemon pe el and salt. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addi tion. Beat in sour cream just until smooth.

4. Pour filling over crust in pan and place in a large roasting pan. Place pa n on oven rack. Carefully pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 in ch up side of springform pan. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until center is just set.

5. Remove cheesecake from water bath. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove f oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, run knife around e dge of pan and remove sides. Garnish top with fresh berries, if desired. Serv e with Double Strawberry Sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Double Strawberry Sauce: Puree strawberries in syrup in food processor or blend er until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in sliced strawberries. M akes 3 1/3 cups.

The lemony blend of cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream makes this chee secake filling extra-light in texture.

Prep time: 25 minutes plus chilling Baking time: 1 1/4 hours Degree of difficul ty: moderate

MC formatted by Barb at Possum Kingdom using MC Buster 2.0g & SNT on 8/17/98

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