Our Book Group Holiday Party last night was one of the best ever! The food was over the top delicious and my husband and I were STILL laughing as we returned home, recounting the evening’s antics.
I hit the jackpot with the White Elephant Exchange – having stolen a pair of HAWT, leopard pajamas AND a box of homemade marmalades!
The cheesecake was yummy, BUT I learned something valuable to pass on – DON’T use frozen fruit in the “preserve topping” when you make this – only use fresh berries. I used thawed, frozen (couldn’t find fresh raspberries at the market yesterday) therefore, the topping didn’t set like it should have and it ran – No big deal….the cheesecake was creamy and delicious anyway!
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- ingredients
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- mix graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon and butter
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- bake crust for 12 minutes
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- beat egg whites
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- blend cream cheese, sugar, vanilla
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- return egg whites and fold
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- pour filling in springform pan
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- ready to bake
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- warm the raspberry preserves
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- strain to remove any seeds
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- fold in the berries and spread on top
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- spread raspberries evenly and refrigerate
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- holiday table
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- HAWT leaopard PJs
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- cheesecake with raspberry sauce
Cheesecake with Raspberry Grand Marnier topping
Crust
2 cups Graham Crackers – crushed in food processor
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 stick butter, (6 tablespoons) melted
Cheesecake filling
3 packages Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese – softened at room temperature
3 eggs — separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Raspberry Grand Marnier topping:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 8-ounce jar Raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt the Raspberry preserves, just until smooth – don’t let it boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. If there are seeds in the preserves, use a strainer to strain the preserves into a medium bowl. Fold in the raspberries and mix together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers, sugar and cinnamon. Slowly pour in the melted butter and mix completely. (you might have to open the processor and scrape down the sides to make certain everything mixes properly).  Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch Springform pan. (some recipes call for pushing the crust up the side of the pan, I never do — just a preference) Place the Springform pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove pan and let it cool.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
In your stand mixer, with the “whisk” attachment, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Pour them in a medium bowl and set aside. Return the mixer bowl to the stand and replace the “whisk” attachment with the “paddle” attachment. Add the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and grated lemon peel and mix thoroughly on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and return the beaten egg whites to the bowl and blend into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour the filling into the Springform pan and cover the crust evenly. Place the Springform pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50 minutes. While the cake is baking prepare the topping.
Remove cake and let it cool completely 2 – 3 hours. Wrap it and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. After the cake has set, pour the raspberry sauce evenly over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
I alway leave the cheesecake out for about an hour to soften before serving – it’s creamier when you do. Cheers!
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