Key Lime Cheesecake with Strawberry-Butter Sauce Recipe

Cheesecake: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine -- melted

3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each) -- softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

6 large eggs -- separated

1 carton sour cream (8 ounce)

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind

1/2 cup Key lime juice

Strawberry-Butter Sauce: 1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries -- hulled

1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind

Combine first 3 ingredients, and firmly press mixture onto bottom and 1" up sides of a buttered 9" springform pan.

Bake at 350F degrees for 8 minutes; cool.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in sour cream, rind, and juice.

Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour batter into crust.

Bake at 350F degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes; turn oven off. Partially open oven door; let cheesecake cool in oven 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately run a knife around sides of cheesecake to loosen. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cover and refrigerate 8 hours. Serve with Strawberry-Butter Sauce.

Strawberry-Butter Sauce: Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add strawberries. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.