Cranberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake - creamy, delicious, and loved by many, but we have added cranberries. Now, it is just loved by many more.

Makes: 1 pie

Takes About: 1 1/2 hours

Difficulty: 1 hour + 2 hours of cooling

Ingredients:

Cranberry Filling

8 ounces cranberries

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Crust and Crumble Topping

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter - very cold, cut into cubes

Cheesecake

8 ounces cream cheese - softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Instructions

- Step 1 - Make Cranberry Filling

In a large sauce pan, mix together 8 ounces of fresh cranberries, 5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of water on medium-high heat until it starts to boil.

- Step 2 - Simmer

Once the cranberry filling starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, pull the filling off the heat and let cool as you make the rest of the cheesecake.

- Step 3 - Start Crust

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

- Step 4 - Cut in the Butter

Once the dry ingredients are well mixed, cut the 1/2 cup of very cold butter into the bowl and using a folk, pastry cutter, or pastry blender mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and holds together when pinched.

- Step 5 - Press in the Crust

Place 1/2 cup of the pie crust off to the side for later and press the rest into a 9 inch pie pan and bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Once baked, set off to the side to cool.

- Step 6 - Start Cream Cheese Filling

Mix the 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar in to a medium bowl with an electric mixture until mixed well.

Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the sugar and cream cheese until smooth.

- Step 6 - Pour in Cheesecake

Once the crust has cooled, pour the cheesecake filling into the prepped pie pan.

- Step 7 - Add Cranberry Filling

Spoon the cranberry filling over the cream cheese filling, but do not let the cranberry filling touch the sides.

- Step 8 - Add the Crumble to the Top

Using the 1/2 cup of pie crust crumble that was pulled off to the side in step 5, sprinkle it over the top of the cranberry filling until it has either been covered or all the crumble is gone.

- Step 9 - Bake

Bake the cheese cake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

After the cheesecake has baked, let the cheesecake cool for 2 hours or more.

- Step 10 - Enjoy

Once cooled cut it up and enjoy all you can eat!

Recipe found on "Bake or Break."