Almost too pretty to eat: Cranberry Cheesecake adds sparkle to your holiday table

This cranberry delight is a cause for celebration! Rich, festive Cranberry Cheesecake combines classic flavor with a homemade cranberry compote-infused layer above a crust sweetly made using C&H Light Brown Sugar and graham crackers. Top it all off with fresh and sugared cranberries, rosemary springs and whipped cream for a tempting treat that tastes as good as it looks.

To find more sweet eats to celebrate the holidays, visit chsugar.com.

Cranberry Cheesecake

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cranberry Compote:

2          cups fresh cranberries
1          cup C&H Light Brown Sugar
1/4       cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1          teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Crust:

2          cups graham cracker crumbs
6          tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3          tablespoons C&H Light Brown Sugar
1/4       teaspoon salt

Cheesecake:

3          packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
2          cups C&H Organic Raw Cane Sugar
3          tablespoons all-purpose flour
2          teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4       teaspoon salt
4          large eggs, at room temperature
1/2       cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2       cup cranberry compote

            fresh cranberries
            sugared cranberries
            rosemary sprigs
            whipped cream

Directions:

1. To make cranberry compote: In medium saucepan, bring cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and orange zest to boil. Lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until most cranberries burst. Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature then transfer to bowl; refrigerate.
2. To make crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 8-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, butter, brown sugar and salt. Press crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F.
4. To make cheesecake: In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth. Add cane sugar and beat 2-3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Add flour, vanilla and salt. Beat 1 minute until incorporated.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add sour cream and mix 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. In medium bowl, mix half of cheesecake batter with 1/2 cup cranberry compote.
6. Wrap springform pan with aluminum foil and place in large roasting pan. Pour cream cheese and cranberry mixture into prepared pan. Top with remaining cream cheese batter. Place roasting pan in oven and add hot water to 1-inch of springform pan. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until cake looks set in center. Remove from oven and rest 1 hour. Refrigerate in pan overnight.
7. Decorate cake with fresh and sugared cranberries, rosemary springs and whipped cream.

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