Chocolate Pomegranate Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine cookie crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottoms of 24 paper-lined muffin pan cups.
• Beat cream cheese, vanilla and 1 cup of the remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crust.
• Bake 20 to 22 min. or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, bring pomegranate juice and remaining sugar to boil in saucepan; simmer on medium-low heat 14 to 16 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to use.
• Spoon pomegranate sauce over cheesecakes just before serving; sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine cookie crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.
• Beat cream cheese, vanilla and 1 cup of the remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 55 min. to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, bring pomegranate juice and remaining sugar to boil in saucepan; simmer on medium-low heat 14 to 16 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pour pomegranate sauce over cheesecake just before serving; sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Steps:

• Prep: 50 minutes.
• Bake: 1 hour, 25 minutes.
• Cool: 2 hours.
• Chill: 4 hours.
• Prepare Pomegranate Sauce.
• Preheat oven to 350°F In a mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined. Add 1 egg; beat well. Beat in 1 1/4 cups flour until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate one portion.
• Spread unrefrigerated dough half on bottom of ungreased 10-inch springform pan with sides removed, spreading dough to edges. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. When cool, attach sides of pan. Press chilled dough onto sides to a height of 1 3/4 inches, using a thin metal spatula to spread dough.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F For filling, in an extra large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the remaining flour on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla all at once, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream, the lemon peel, and 3/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds.
• Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 65 minutes or until edges are puffed and center jiggles slightly when gently shaken. Remove from oven.
• Stir together remaining sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread sour cream mixture over top of baked cheesecake. Return to oven; bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool completely. Cover; chill 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove cheesecake and Pomegranate Sauce from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Spoon some sauce over top of cheesecake; pile remaining 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds in center of cheesecake. To serve, slice cheesecake. Pass remaining sauce.
• *TIP* Spoon sour cream mixture on the puffed edges, then carefully spread toward the center.
• EACH SERVING WITH SAUCE: 490 cal, 33 g fat (20 g sat. fat), 143 mg chol, 246 mg sodium, 42 g carbo, 8 g pro. Daily Values: 24% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 9% calcium. 10% iron.
• Pomegranate Sauce (start to finish: 18 min).
• In a saucepan bring pomegranate juice to boiling. Reduce heat, boil gently, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup (10-12 minutes. Stir together brown sugar and cornstarch; add to juice. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to bowl; cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature. Store, covered, in refrigerator until serving. Use to top Pomegranate Cheesecake.
• EACH SERVING: 33 cal, 3 mg sodium, 8 g carbo. Daill values: 5% vit. C, 1% iron.

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap 3 layers of foil around the outside of a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Butter the pan.
• Combine the graham crackers, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake just until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth, about 35 seconds. Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
• Set the cheesecake in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to the baking pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake until almost set (the center will move slightly when the pan is gently shaken) but not puffed, about 1 hour. Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• For the pomegranate sauce: Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Add the pomegranate seeds and mix to combine.
• Pour the pomegranate sauce on top of the cooled cheesecake and serve.

Steps:

• Please note Pampered Chef products are highlighted. You can use any food processor and other equipment to accomplish the same results.
• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°F). For crust, lightly spray sides of 9" Spring form Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Break cookies in half and place in Manual Food Processor; cover and pump handle to form very fine crumbs. Press cookie crumbs evenly over bottom and slightly up sides of pan. Bake 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.
• For filling, place chocolate in Large Micro-Cooker®. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1-1 1/2 minutes or until mostly melted, stirring every 30 seconds with Mix 'N Scraper®. Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl; beat on medium speed of electric mixer just until incorporated. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Add chocolate; mix just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 55-65 minutes (see Cook's Tip) or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken (center will firm as it cools). Turn off oven; open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack; remove collar from pan. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• For sauce, combine juice and cornstarch in (1.5-qt./1.4-L) Saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; pour into (2-cup/500-mL) Prep Bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• For each serving, drizzle with syrup and garnish with whipped cream, pomegranate seeds and chocolate curls, if desired.