New York cheese cake with almond crumbThis amount makes a 6 inch cheesecake Ingredients: For the crumb base: 3/4 cup plain flour 1/2 cup almond meal 2 tbsp brown sugar 5 tbsp cold butter 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp water For the cake mix: 1 packet Philadelphia cream cheese 1 cup sour cream or thick yoghurt 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp vanila extract 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 eggs 1/2 cup sugar Directions: To make the crust, mix the flour, almond meal, salt and brown sugar together and rub in the cold butter with your finger tips. It should resemble wet sand. Sprinkle two teaspoons of cold water and mix it roughly. In a six inch springform cake tin, pour the mixture and press it tightly to achieve an even surface. Once done let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Once its brown, take it out of the oven and let it cool down. Lower the temperature of your oven to 350°F/175°C. To make the cake batter, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. First, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat it again for two minutes. Add one egg at a time and mix well. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the sour cream, lemon juice, flour, vanilla and beat well. Make sure there are no lumps left. Wrap the cake tin in two layers of aluminium foil. Pour the batter in the cake tin. Put the tin in a deep tray and pour hot water in the tray about 2cm deep. Bake it for 50 to 60 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the temperature of the oven. After 50 minutes, check the cake by shaking the tray slightly. The cake should have a slight wobble but should not appear runny in the middle. If it seems too runny, bake it for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Once the cake is set, turn off the oven and let the cake cool inside, keeping the door slightly open. Allow it to stay this way for about an hour. Once its cooled, keep it in the fridge for at least 5 to 6 hours to set. Once set, slide a knife around the edges of the cake and slide it off the tin. Decorate with your favourite berries and fruit toppings. Note: *If you don't have sour cream, hang plain yoghurt in a piece of cheese cloth for about an hour to get rid of extra water and use this as a substitute. For the topping, you can use blueberry or strawberry pie fillings. It is available in the superstores. *If you want to make a biscuit layer, then smash some graham cracker or digestive biscuits. Take about 2 cups of crumb and mix 4 tablespoons of melted butter with the crumb. Press it on the bottom of the tin and bake for 5 to 10 minutes.