Served as dessert. Vegetarian dish.

2 cups finely crushed Butter Cookies or you could use Graham Crackers

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1 (15 1/4 ounce) can unpeeled Apricot halves

3 (8 ounce) packages Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs

1 (10 ounce) jar Apricot Jam

1/4 cup Apricot Nectar

Preheat oven to 325. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter and press evenly on the bottom and 2" up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or'til golden brown and set aside. Drain apricot halves reserving 3 tablespoons of the syrup. Coarsely chop the apricots and set aside. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar, reserved apricot syrup and vanilla with a mixer'til combined. Add eggs all at once beating on low speed just'til combined. Stir in chopped apricots. Pour filling into prepared crust and place on a shallow baking pan in the oven. Bake about 50 minutes or'til center appears nearly set when cheesecake is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then loosen crust from sides of pan and cool cheesecake 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely. For the glaze melt apricot spread in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, stir in the apricot nectar and spread over the cheesecake. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 6 1/2 hours

Serves: 16