Almond Cheesecake with Pecan Cookie Crust

For Crust:

Stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar, pecans and lemon peel in a medium bowl. Add melted margarine and stir until evenly moistened. Press crust mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.

For Filling:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almonds and extract. Pour filling over prepared crust. Bake 45 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to a rack and cool 30 minutes.

For Topping:

Stir together sour cream, sugar and almond extract in a small bowl. Spoon topping evenly over cheesecake. Bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle sliced almonds over top of cheesecake and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove pan sides and slice.