Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake

This fall I found this recipe in my Real Simple magazine. I had to make it. I did. We had some family over for dinner and I think the cheesecake was the star. My Uncle is not a big fan of cheesecake, but he loved this. In fact, he asked me to make it for him two weeks later as a birthday gift. It is delicious. By far my new favorite cheesecake recipe.

Here is the recipe:
Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake
Serves 12| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 5hr 00m
Ingredients

* 3 cups ground gingersnap cookies
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* 3 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups sour cream
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup cherry preserves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, combine the ground gingersnaps and butter. Using a straight-sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in ½ cup of the sour cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.
3. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 ½ cups of sour cream, ¼ cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Spread over the hot cheesecake and bake until set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let cool in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before unmolding.
5. Spread the preserves over the cheesecake before serving.

*Photo from Realsimple.com