Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Pastry Food

THE BEST CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Empty the cranberries into a saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl. Add the sugar, zest and 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries. Remove the citrus peel. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before serving.

CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE AND SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• Crush biscuits into crumbs using a food processor. Stir crumbs, butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt together to make the crust. Press into the bottom of the pan. Rinse food processor and set aside for the cranberry glaze.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool while making the filling.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Spoon batter over the crust.
• Bake until the filling is set but still soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, combine 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to coat with syrup.
• Refrigerate cheesecake and syrup-coated cranberries, 8 hours to overnight.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Drain the cranberries, then roll them in the sugar. Place the sugared cranberries on the prepared baking sheet and allow to dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In the meantime, make the glaze. Combine cranberries, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer, crushing cranberries, until jammy, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to the food processor; add confectioners' sugar, orange juice, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
• Strain cranberry glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Pour over the cheesecake and smooth across the top with a small offset spatula. Garnish with sugared cranberries.

GOAT'S CHEESE & CRANBERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Lay pastry on a floured work surface. Using a round 7.5cm round pastry cutter, cut out as many circles as possible.
• Sit them on oiled baking sheets and score a circle about 2.5cm in from the edge of each disc by pressing gently with a 5cm cutter. Pierce the middle of each with a fork, brush with egg and top with a little cranberry sauce or chutney.
• Slice the cheese 5mm thick so you have a slice per disc (discard end rinds). Lay a slice on each tartlet, then top with thyme leaves, a drizzle of oil and a twist of black pepper.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the pastry crispy. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm, garnished with rocket leaves.

NO-BAKE CRANBERRY CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Combine flour and brown sugar in medium microwaveable bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Microwave on HIGH 3 min., stirring after each minute. Microwave additional 1 to 2 min. or until crumb mixture is crisp and golden brown, stirring every 30 sec. Add nuts; mix well. Spread onto large plate; cool.
• Meanwhile, microwave cranberries, granulated sugar and water in large microwaveable bowl 3 min.; stir. Microwave additional 2 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring after each minute. Continue to microwave 3 min. or until thickened; stir. Spoon into serving bowl. Cool slightly.
• Spoon cheesecake filling into crust.
• Serve topped with warm cranberry sauce and crumb mixture.