As a kid my favorite dessert was cheesecake. It had a graham cracker crust baked with a cream cheese layer on top. This was topped with a lemony sour cream glaze. Simple and delicious, and quick to make.
Last time I made it though, it seemed too heavy. Now there was a big hole in my dessert repertoire. But happily, I found a solution.
Ever hear of cranberry curd? I hadn’t either, at least until I recently saw a recipe by David Tanis in the New York Times for cranberry curd tart. The color was amazing, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was a bit hesitant to make it though, because on the one hand fresh cranberries have an aftertaste because of their tannins; on the other hand, curds can be tooth-achingly sweet.
My solution was to swirl the curd into the cheesecake. Not only did it look pretty, but the cream cheese and sour cream played perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the curd.
We are all doing things differently this year and you might think it is too much to make this for Christmas if no one is coming for dinner. I have a solution: take a picture of your creation, cut it in quarters, and deliver it to family and friends — just like Santa Claus. I am sure they will thank you.
I wish you all a cozy, safe, Zoom-filled holiday. Happy New Year, 2021 has just got to be better.
Claudia Alexander has been happily cooking for friends and family for more than three decades. She writes a bi-weekly food blog, Claudia’s Kitchen, that can be found at barestoneware.com, hosted by her daughter Lucy, a potter. Contact her at sweetbynurture@gmail.com
RECIPE
Cranberry curd cheesecake
10 servings
Cranberry curd:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest and juice of one orange
4 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs room temperature
Photo by Claudia Alexander
Cranberry curd cheesecake can be made two days ahead of time.Crust:
1½ cups of ground graham cracker cookies
1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons of melted butter
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Filling:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs room temperature
¾ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
To make the curd: put the cranberries, sugar and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the berries have burst. Pour the mixture in a food processor and process until chopped and liquid.
Push the mixture through a sieve and discard the leftover cranberry skins; add the butter to the warm cranberry mixture and stir, melting the butter. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs and slowly drizzle the cranberries into them. Whisk quickly so that the eggs don’t cook until you have combined the eggs and cranberries.
Put into a saucepan and cook over low heat, constantly whisking until thickened. Pour into a bowl and press plastic wrap onto the curd so it doesn’t get a skin on top.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and cover the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
To make the crust: put the graham crackers in a food processor and grind into crumbs. In a medium bowl add the cookie crumbs along with the sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix until the crust starts to come together. Pour into your prepared springform pan and press along the bottom and slightly up the sides of your pan. Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
To make the filling: put the cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until smooth. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time until just incorporated; do not overmix.
With a spatula add the sour cream and the vanilla. Pour two thirds of the mixture into your cooled pie shell. Top with half of the cranberry curd.
Using a small butter knife, wet the blade and swirl the cranberry curd into the cream cheese filling; be careful not touch the graham cracker crust. Repeat with the rest of the cream cheese filling, topping it with the rest of the curd. With a clean wet butter knife swirl the curd to make a pretty pattern on the top of the cake.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the outside edges are set (to about 2 inches in) but the center is still jiggly. Place on a cooling rack and run a sharp wet knife blade around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake.
Cool completely, then refrigerate for four hours before removing the springform pan.
Note: You can make the curd a day or two ahead. The cake can be made two days ahead of time.
— Cranberry curd adapted from David Tanis, of the New York Times; cheesecake recipe adapted from Epicurious
"Yummy" - Google News
December 02, 2020 at 03:01AM
https://ift.tt/3loCFFP
Cranberry curd cheesecake as light and yummy as it is pretty - Marin Independent Journal
"Yummy" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3dchJOC
https://ift.tt/3c08sJp
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Cranberry curd cheesecake as light and yummy as it is pretty - Marin Independent Journal"
Post a Comment