Dessert
Crust:
6 ounces Nabisco Animal Crackers
2 TBS sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
Filling:
40 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
6 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Crust:
Grind cracker crumbs with sugar and spices in food processor until fine. Add butter
and mix until moist. Press into bottom of 9" spring-form pan.
(For chocolate, the crust can be Oreo crumbs but it will be dense.)
Bake at 325 until lightly browned around the edge, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 500.
In mixer beat cream cheese until softened., about 1 minute, scrape sides, add salt and ½ the sugar and beat until combined. Scrape bowl and beat in remaining sugar. Scrape bowl, add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape bowl, add yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Scrape bowl and add whole eggs two at a time, scraping bowl between additions. (For chocolate add ½ cup cocoa)
Pour mixture into crust. Cook 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 200 without opening oven door. Cook 1 ½ to 2 hours until center gets to 150. Cool 5 minutes on rack, then run knife around outside. Cool about 3 hours then wrap and refrigerate