Mary's Cheese Torte
Ingredients
- 2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ Cups sugar, 2 Tbsp for topping
- 1 Tbsp flour
- ¼ Tsp cinnamon for topping and crust
- ½ Cup butter soft or melted (1 cube)
- 3 Packages (8oz ea) cream cheese, room temp
- 1 Pint sour cream (16oz)
- 1½ Tsp Vanilla extract
- (1 tsp for filling and ½ tsp for topping)
- ¼ Tsp Almond extract
- 4 Egg whites
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° then butter 9" spring form pan (3" deep).
For the crust and topping: Combine 2 cups crumbs, ¾ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, and ¼ tsp cinnamon. Mix in 1/2 cup butter (soft or melted) Reserve 1/3 cup of crumb mix for topping. Press remainder on bottom and 3/4 of the way up the sides of the buttered spring form pan.
Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla and ¼ almond extract. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, fold this into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour into crumb lined pan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, let stand 5 minutes. Increase oven to 425°.
Meanwhile, mix remaining sour cream, 2 Tbsp sugar and ½ tsp vanilla.
Remove from oven, let cool for 15 minutes. Spread over top of torte and sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake 5 minutes at 425.
Cool on rack away from drafts. Chill at least 1 hour.
