Spiced Cider Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust
  • 1 cup finely crushed gingerbread cookies or gingersnaps
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling
  • 1 (12-oz.) can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons mulling spices
  • 3/4 cup chopped dried apples
  • 3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 eggs
Topping
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1 _ Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar; mix well. Stir in butter. Reserve 2 tablespoons crumb mixture for garnish. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom and 2 inches up sides of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

2 _ Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Wrap outside of pan, bottom and sides, with heavy-duty foil.

3 _ Meanwhile, in small saucepan, bring apple juice concentrate and mulling spices to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 10 minutes. Place dried apples in medium bowl. Strain apple juice mixture over apples; discard spices. Cool 15 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

4 _ Beat cream cheese in large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs one at a time, beating just until combined and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Beat in lukewarm apple mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.

5 _ Bake at 350°F. for 50 to 55 minutes or until sides of cheesecake are set and puffed, top is golden brown and center still moves slightly when pan is tapped.


6 _ Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine topping ingredients; blend well.

7 _ Remove cheesecake from oven. Gently spread sour cream topping over cheesecake. Return to oven; bake an additional 5 minutes. Center will still move slightly when pan is tapped. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stand in oven with door slightly ajar for 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour.

8 _ Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons of crumb mixture over top of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

9 _ To serve, remove sides of pan. Cut cheesecake into wedges.

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