Fresh Peach Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 small peaches (about 1¼ pounds), peeled, pitted, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons plus 1¼ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

• ¾ cup peach preserves
• 2¼ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ large peach, peeled, pitted, very thinly sliced

Instructions OPEN Next Page...

Instructions

1 _ For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add butter to graham cracker crumbs and stir until evenly moistened. Press crumbs over bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Bake crust until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

2 _ For Filling: Combine peaches, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice in heavy large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and peaches are juicy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until peaches are tender and juices thicken, about 5 minutes. Cool compote.

3 _ Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1¼ cups sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Spoon half of cheese mixture (about 3 cups) into crust. Spoon peach compote over by tablespoonfuls, spacing apart. Top with remaining cheese mixture.

4 _ Place large piece of foil on oven rack. Place pan with cheesecake on foil. Bake until puffed, set in center, and beginning to brown, about 1 hour. Place hot cheesecake on rack; cool 5 minutes. run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen. Place cheesecake, uncovered, on rack in refrigerator and chill overnight. (Can make up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

5 _ For Glaze: combine preserves and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until glaze comes to simmer. Strain into small bowl. Release pan sides; place cheesecake on platter. Spread glaze over top of cheesecake to within ¼ inch of edge. Chill cheesecake until glaze sets, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Arrange peach slices in center of cake and serve.

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