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GRAHAM CRACKER PIE OR TART CRUST

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs; from 9 full-size crackers (18 squares total)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup (5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) unsalted butter, melted
• FLAVORED VARIATIONS: The flavor variations are endless. Remember to crush graham crackers or cookies before measuring and using. Graham crackers now come in different flavors, such as chocolate, honey, or cinnamon, to name a few. Just use instead of regular ones.
• Cocoa-Orange Graham Crust: Add 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa to the recipe. Replace all or 1- 2 tablespoons sugar with packed dark brown sugar. Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon finely chopped orange peel with the dark brown sugar. Evenly disperse them before adding to the crushed graham crackers.
• Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crust: Use packed dark brown sugar instead of granulated. Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cookies: Vanilla or chocolate wafers work well. There are even Oreo Cookie Crumbs to use in a recipe. Use in place of regular graham cracker crumbs.
• Spiced Nut Crust: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger with 1/4-cup finely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the basic crust recipe.
• Coconut Graham Crust: Add 1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the basic crust recipe.
• Almond: Add in 1/4 cup ground blanched (peeled) almonds and toasted almonds with the graham cracker crumbs
• Chocolate “Peanut Butter Cup”: Instead of graham cracker crumbs, use chocolate cookie crumbs. Ingredients: 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, 2 TBSP dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. In a small bowl combine sugars. Add peanut butter. Using fingertips, rub mixture together until forms small crumbs. Sprinkle over crust. Then pour in the cheesecake filling.
• Mocha: Blend in 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules with the graham cracker crumbs, preferably chocolate ones.
• Ginger-Snap: Use 1 3/4 cups finely ground gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 40, 2-inch cookies), instead of graham crackers. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

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