Recipe: Lemon Pudding Cheesecake with White Chocolate Curls

LEMON PUDDING CHEESECAKE

1-1/2 cups crushed NillaWafers (about 40 wafers)
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup Breakstone's or Knudsen Sour Cream
4 eggs
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Strawberry Whipped Topping
2 squares Baker's Premium White Baking Chocolate (for making Chocolate Curl garnish)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan).

Mix wafer crumbs, 1 Tbsp. of the sugar and the butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan.

Bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, flour and milk in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in dry pudding mixes until well blended.

Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare chocolate curls from white chocolate. (See Tip).

Remove rim of pan when ready to serve. Top cheesecake with whipped topping and chocolate curls just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS:
Melt chocolate as directed on package. Spread with spatula into very thin layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until firm but still pliable. To make curls, push a metal spatula firmly along the baking sheet, under the chocolate, so the chocolate curls as it is pushed. (If chocolate is too firm to curl, let stand a few minutes at room temperature; refrigerate again if it becomes too soft.) Use toothpick to carefully place chocolate curls on wax paper-covered tray. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm. Use toothpick to arrange curls on dessert.

Makes: 16 servings