Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake

To make the crust, stir together the first four ingredients (graham crackers, butter, sugar, salt). Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Chill until ready to fill.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time; mix. Then add the vanilla and sugar. Beat on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scrape down the bowl between additions.

Put the springform pan with the crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour the filling into the crust and bake in the baking pan for 45 minutes, or until the cake is starting to firm up around the edge but still jiggles in the middle. Let the cheesecake stand in the baking pan on a rack for 5 minutes.

Leave the oven on while you make the topping. To make the topping, stir together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Drop by soup-spoonfuls around the edge of the cake. Use the back of your soup spoon to cover the cake evenly. Bake cake with topping for an additional 10 minutes.

Run a knife around the top edge of cake to loosen the cheesecake. Let it sit in the springform pan and cool completely on a rack. Chill the cake and serve when desired by releasing the spingform and removing the side.

(Recipe adapted from Three Cities Of Spain Coffeehouse in Santa Fe, NM, published in Gourmet Magazine, November 1999.)