Almond Cheesecake

12 to 14 servings

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 12 graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup finely ground almonds
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Topping
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 can Solo or 1 jar Baker Almond filling
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground almonds, and sugar in small bowl. Add melted butter and stir until well blended. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and partly up side of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. (Do not turn oven off.)

To make topping, stir sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Set aside in refrigerator.

To make filling, beat cream cheeese and sugar in medium-size bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add almond filling, flour, and almond extract, and beat until well blended. Pour into cooled crumb crust. Bake 1 hour or until center is set.

Remove cheesecake from oven and spread reserved sour cream mixture over top. Return to oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until topping is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or until ready to serve.

To serve, run tip of sharp knife around inside edge of pan and remove side pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate.