Creamy Orange Cheesecake

Creamy Orange Cheesecake Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 tablespoons melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham crackers, sugar and melted butter, then press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes then set aside to cool.

Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 and 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in the 1 and 1/4 cups sugar, orange juice concentrate and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Stir in eggs and grated orange peel until combined.

Pour the mixture onto crust. Place spring form pan on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until almost set when gently shaken. Remove spring form pan from oven and set on a wire rack while preparing the topping.

Topping:

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Orange peel for garnish

Stir together the sour cream, the 1 tablespoon sugar, and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and spread over the hot cheesecake.

Cool in springform pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, tehn loosen the cake from the edges of the pan with a sharp knife but don't remove the rim. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 hours before removing the rim, garnishing with orange peels and serving.

Serves 14.

Creamy Orange Cheesecake-->Fruit Cheesecakes