White Chocolate Cheesecake With Cranberry Orange Compote Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease bottom and side of springform pan, 8x3 inches; remove bottom.
• Mix cracker crumbs, pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar and the butter. Press about 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture evenly on bottom of pan. Place on cookie sheet.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown; cool.
• Assemble bottom and side of pan; secure side. Press remaining crumb mixture 2 inches up side of pan. Cut 11-inch circle of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place pan on foil circle; press foil up side of pan to prevent dripping in oven during baking.
• Place white baking chips in 2-cup heatproof glass measure. Place measure in 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Add water to saucepan until 2 inches deep. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted. Remove measure from saucepan.
• Increase oven temperature to 475°F.
• Beat melted chips, 3/4 cup sugar and the flour in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in cream cheese and egg yolks until smooth. Continue beating, adding the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream until blended. Pour batter carefully into crust. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake 20 minutes; remove foil. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Bake 1 hour. (If cheesecake browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil during last 30 minutes of baking.)
• Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen before and after refrigerating. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 5 days. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen; remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Top with fruit. Immediately refrigerate any remaining cheesecake after serving.

Steps:

• Make cranberry purée:
• Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to processor. Add vanilla. Puree until smooth. Strain into medium bowl. Cover with plastic. Refrigerate at least 6 hours.
• Make crust:
• Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Blend cookies, sugar and cinnamon in processor. Add butter; blend until moist clumps form. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill crust while preparing filling.
• Make filling:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla.
• Transfer 1/3 of filling to prepared crust. Dollop 1/3 of cranberry puree atop filling. Repeat layering of filling and puree 2 more times. Using knife, swirl puree through filling, creating marbled design.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake puffs around edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 1 hour, leaving oven door ajar.
• Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Cover cake and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Remove pan sides. Serve cake with Cranberry-Raspberry Compote.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Beat butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla in small bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour until well blended; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Prick with fork. Bake 25 min. or until edge is lightly browned.
• Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition 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 4 hours. Top with raspberries just before serving.