Ingredients

Crust:
1/4 pound (1 stick) lightly salted butter
2 cups very finely ground vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

Melt butter over very low heat. Combine butter with crumbs and sugar with a fork, until well blended. Press mixture over bottom and all the way up the sides of an ungreased 10-inch springform pan.

Filling:
2 pounds (4 8-ounce packages) cream cheese
1 1/2 pounds sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons mint extract
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar, and beat for 2 minutes, or until soft. Add mint extract and salt, and blend thoroughly. Add the eggs, one at a time, keeping the mixer on the lowest speed to prevent too much air from destroying the batter's proper consistency. Mix just until each egg has been incorporated into the batter. Gently fold in cranberries with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break them. Pour filling into crust and bake 40 minutes. If ingredients were colder than room temperature, add 5 minutes to baking time.

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon creme de menthe (or mint extract)

Directions

Combine sour cream, sugar and creme de menthe or mint extract with a rubber spatula in a plastic bowl. Spread evenly over top of baked filling and return to 350-degree-oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in the refrigerator to cool immediately. This prevents cracks from forming in the cheesecake.

Note: Cheesecake should be baked about 2 days before serving and allowed to mellow in the refrigerator. Don't cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap; condensation will cause moisture to collect on the topping of the cake. Instead, cover with a piece of cardboard. Remove from refrigerator a couple hours before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.