2 1/2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
5 lg. eggs
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Nut Crust, made with hazelnuts (recipe below)
Fresh strawberries

Filling: Heat oven to 275 degrees. In a large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and flour with an electric mixer. When smooth, beat in 2 of the eggs and then the other 3. Stir in cream and vanilla. Scrape into Nut Crust.

To bake: Tap pan on counter to break any large air bubbles. Place pan on a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil; wrap foil around sides of pan to create a watertight jacket. Place pan in a larger pan and fill larger pan 2 inches deep with water. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until center of cake begins to feel firm to the touch. Remove from oven. Remove foil and place pan on a wire rack to cool about 45 minutes. Cover cake, leave on wire rack (so that air circulates) and chill at least 5 hours before serving. To finish; Decorate with fresh berries. Makes 16 servings.

NUT CRUST:

Bake 1 cup unblanched hazelnuts, almonds or pecans 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking pan several times. Hazelnuts are done when skins brown and blister; pecans and almonds, when lightly browned. Coarsely grind nuts in a blender or food processor.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in ground nuts and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of an oiled, 9 inch springform pan and freeze until ready to fill.

HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE:

Prepare Cookie Crust (recipe below). Roast and grind 1 cup hazelnuts as described in Nut Crust recipe, above. Prepare Just Cheesecake filling (recipe above) and stir in 2 tablespoons Frangelico (Italian hazelnut liqueur) or dark rum and the ground, toasted hazelnuts with the cream. Pour into Cookie Crust. Wrap pan, bake and cool as for Just Cheesecake. Decorate with whole, unblanched hazelnuts. Makes 16 servings.

COOKIE CRUST:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Press evenly into the bottom of an oiled 9 inch springform pan. Bake 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool while you make the cheesecake filling.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE:

Prepare Just Cheesecake Filling, increasing vanilla to 2 teaspoons and stirring in 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips with the heavy cream. Pour into Chocolate Cookie Crust. Wrap pan, bake and cool as for Just Cheesecake, but bake only about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 16 servings.