Prettier Than Napoleon

Jane Galt is food blogging recipes for bean chili, mushroom strudel, chocolate pound cake, and eggnog cheesecake.

Those sound good, but I stand by my tried and true cheesecake recipe. It's from River Road Recipes II, the second cookbook compilation by the Junior League of Baton Rouge. These books were used regularly all through my childhood and are probably responsible for the heart attack I'll be having sometime soon. They have recipes for raccoon and squirrel (in the "How Men Cook" section, of course). But anyway, back to the cheesecake, which even the ultra picky HLS food critic didn't turn up his nose at:

Cheesecake
24 ounces (3 bars) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp almond extract

Beat cream cheese until soft, then add sugar and beat well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add salt and almond extract. Beat until yellow. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. The cookbook says use a springform pan, but I use a deep dish Pyrex pie plate 'cause that's what I have. Let cool for 30 minutes and make the glaze:

2 tbsp sugar
1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix well and spoon over mostly-cooled cheesecake. If there are cracks in the top, the glaze makes a good filler - just smooth it over. Bake 10 minutes at 325. Cool and serve.

*You can use reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream if you must, but it won't taste as good. "Fat-free" anything will ruin it.