Pineapple Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups graham crackers

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick of butter or margarine (melted: 5 minutes at 30% power [defrost setting] in microwave)

Filling:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs or 3 jumbo eggs

2 cups sour cream (16 ounces)

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze (optional):

1 can (about 13 ounces) pineapple chunks

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make crust:

Mix crumbs with brown sugar & cinnamon in small bowl. Blend in melted butter or margarine.

Press evenly over bottom & side of buttered 9 inch spring pan.

Set pan on aluminum foil. Fold up around side of pan to catch any butter mixture that may leak out as cake bakes.

Chill in refrigerator so melted butter hardens in crust.

Make filling:

Soften cream cheese in large bowl.

Gradually beat in sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, lemon juice, grated lemon rind, and vanilla extract.

Pour well beaten filling into crust.

Cooking:

Bake on center rack of oven at 350°F for 1 hour.

Turn off oven and leave cake in oven with door closed for 1 more hour.

Remove from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack or wooden cutting board for 2 hours.

Remove aluminum foil. Release spring and place cake on a plate.

Glaze (optional):

Drain syrup from pineapple into 1 cup measure. Add water to make it 1 cup.

Blend about 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls into cornstarch until smooth in small saucepan.

Stir in remaining syrup mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils 3 minutes.

Stir in lemon juice and pineapple chunks. Cool. Spoon over top of cheesecake.

Chill in refrigerator overnight so cake hardens before eating.