Jo and Sue: Cranberry Cheesecake

Best cheesecake evah!

Honest.

You could not ask for a prettier or tastier dessert for Christmas. Okay...ANY day really...

The crust is chocolaty and sweet, the cheesecake is soooo rich and decadent, and then the cranberry topping has the perfect amount of tartness.

Break out the jazz hands for this one.

Oh...yeah...and be prepared for a lot of hugs from happy eaters.

This is one of those desserts that inspires hugs.

Cranberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

3 cups Oreo baking crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 Tbsp brown sugar

Cheesecake

4 X 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 2/3 cup sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup sour cream

5 eggs

Topping

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup cranberry juice

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries

Decoration

extra cranberries

whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 10 inch springform pan with cooking spray, set aside.

Prepare crust -- In a mixing bowl, stir together Oreo crumbs, butter, and brown sugar until well mixed and crumbly.

Press into prepared 10 inch pan. Set aside.

Prepare cheesecake - In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping the bowl a few times to make sure there are no lumps.

Beat in the sugar and flour.

Beat in the vanilla and sour cream, again scraping bowl to ensure it is evenly mixed in.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Pour into pan over the crust.

Bake at 325 until cheesecake is set, about 45 - 55 minutes. (It may take more or less time depending on your oven - be sure to keep an eye on it. It should be set but the very center may have a teeny bit of a jiggle in it. Don't worry too much if it cracks because you will be covering the top with the cranberries.)

Remove from heat and let cool on wire rack for about an hour. Run a knife around the outside to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare topping - In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Place the water and cornstarch into a large saucepan with the cranberry juice, brown sugar, and fresh cranberries.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until mixture has thickened and most of the berries have popped, about 5 - 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool completely. When cool, spread evenly on top of cheesecake.

Chill, covered, until ready to serve - at least 4 hours. (I made mine the day before and it turned out wonderfully.) You can decorate with extra cranberries and whipped cream, if desired.