White Chocolate Cheesecake With Cranberry Orange Compote Food

CREAMY CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter. Stir together the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or a drinking glass to pack the crust firmly and evenly into the edges of the pan. Bake until browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely, then set the pan on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream, and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cream and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at time, beating the mixture after the last egg until just combined (take care not to overmix or the cake will turn into a souffle).
• Pour the filling in to the crust. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly golden and barely set in the middle when the pan is tapped, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (the cake might puff up slightly while in the oven, but that is okay; it will deflate as it cools). Turn off the oven, and leave the cake inside with the door shut for 1 hour. It will continue to set and color slightly in the oven.
• Run a thin knife or spatula around the cake to release it from the sides (this also helps reduce cracks in the top of the cake as it chills). Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• For the cranberry compote: Stir the sugar, dried cranberries and 1 cup water together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then add the fresh cranberries. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the fresh cranberries have burst and the sauce is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the compote to a heat-safe bowl and let it cool slightly before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerating until it is completely chilled. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. (This can be made up to one day in advance.)
• For serving: Spread the cranberry compote in an even layer on top of the chilled cheesecake. The cheesecake will sink a bit in the center as it cools so it creates a perfect well for the cranberry compote. Run a thin knife or spatula between the cake and the sides again, then release the sides of the springform pan and remove the ring from the cheesecake base. Set the base on a cake platter, slice and serve.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.
• Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each until just blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, mix cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. orange juice until blended. Bring cranberries, remaining orange juice and remaining sugar to boil in saucepan on medium-high heat; simmer on low heat 6 min. or until cranberries are softened, stirring frequently. Stir in cornstarch mixture; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 min. or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in orange zest. Cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Spoon cranberry glaze over cheesecake just before serving.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Set racks in the lower third and middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until combined. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze until ready to fill.
• Make the filling: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pot; remove from the heat. Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.
• Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the cornstarch and beat 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate, vanilla and salt until combined.
• Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on the lower oven rack. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set on the middle oven rack. Bake until the edge is set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven, 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Make the compote: Spread the cranberries on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar and set aside until they release some of their juices, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, the orange zest and juice, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the cranberries and add them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until they begin to burst, about 7 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.
• Before serving, run a hot knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then remove the springform ring. Top with the cranberry compote and shaved white chocolate.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a medium straight-sided saute pan, add sugar and wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until it creates a lazy bubble, 235 to 240 degrees F. Add cranberries and stir, bringing temperature to low. Continue to cook cranberries, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes. Add allspice, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, entire orange, orange juice, zest and salt. Cook until cranberries begin to burst and thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Remove aromatics, orange and zest from cranberries and either puree in a high-speed blender for smooth cranberry compote, or leave as is for textured compote. Cool and reserve.

CRANBERRY-GLAZED WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind shortbread cookies and toasted hazelnuts in processor. Add melted unsalted butter and process until moist clumps form. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 8 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• Make filling:
• In top of double boiler set over barely simmering water, stir white chocolate until melted. Remove pan from over water.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended and smooth. Add sour cream and Frangelico and beat until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in melted white chocolate.
• Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake cake until top is golden and puffed and center is set, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack (cake will fall in center). Refrigerate until cold.
• Make topping:
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 teaspoon Frangelico in small bowl; set aside. Combine 1 cup cranberries, 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups cranberries, grated lemon peel and cornstarch mixture. Simmer until cranberries just begin to pop and mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until mixture gels. (Cheesecake and cranberry topping can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Run small sharp knife around sides of springform pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Smooth sides of cheesecake with knife. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Transfer cranberries to strainer and drain well, reserving any syrup. Spoon cranberries evenly atop cheesecake. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve, passing any reserved cranberry syrup separately.