Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Cranberry cheesecake #recipe + #giveaway from @AveryAames


Merry, merry!!



It's a special day! It's an "eve." I thought I'd do another giveaway to celebrate the launch of my next book, coming out in a month. A giveaway is perfect for the holidays, right?

What's the upcoming book? AS GOUDA AS DEAD The 6th in the Cheese Shop Mysteries. What am I giving away? A Mystery Lovers Kitchen tote bag plus your choice of one of my books from either series. See details below...

* * *

We just finished our holiday week of goodies! But that shouldn't stop us from continuing to provide you with deliciousness that you can put out on Christmas Day. 

If you already have all your shopping and cooking done (good for you!!!), you can always make this for New Year's! 

Many of you know I love cheesecake. I've shared many over the years. This one, in a Food Network Magazine, caught my eye because of the cranberry compote. I thought, hmm, interesting. Tart with sweet. It's got to work, right? Well, it does, and the compote is so delicious that you can serve it as a side dish with turkey! In fact, I made the compote for Thanksgiving, and my husband, who has been a die-hard cranberry from the can guy, fell in love with it and won't return to the canned kind! Yay, another convert!

So here you go. A delicious and beautiful cake, perfect for any time of the year. 

Note: I tweaked the temperature in the directions because, honestly, the cake came out a little browner than I like a cheesecake. It didn't change the flavor. It just required a lot more whipped cream to make the cake match the cranberry compote!  LOL


From Food Network Magazine
Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
(tweaked slightly on temperature)

For the crust:
12-18 half graham crackers, finely crushed (about 2 cups crumbs) (*USE 12 large gluten-free sugar cookies, if necessary)
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

For the filling:
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped, plus shaved chocolate for topping
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the compote:
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries (thawed and drained, if frozen)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
3/4 cup water

Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven: First set racks in the lower third and middle of the oven, then preheat to 300 degrees F.

Make the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until combined. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan, which has been lined with parchment paper. Freeze until ready to fill.




Make the filling: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pot; remove from the heat. Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the cornstarch and beat 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate, vanilla and salt until combined.





Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on the lower oven rack. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set on the middle oven rack. Bake until the edge is set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven, 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.



See how it's a little too brown? I checked my go-to recipe and realized the Food Network
recipe had the temp too high, IMHO.

Make the compote: Spread the cranberries on a rimmed baking sheet, pick them over and pull out any that are spoiled. Then sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar and set aside until they release some of their juices, about 1 hour.




Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, the orange zest and juice, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.





Drain the cranberries (if necessary - it wasn't for me...in fact I had sugar left over and I did NOT add it to the mix) 


Left-over sugar; do not add

...and add them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until they begin to burst, about 7 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.





Before serving, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then remove the springform ring. Top with the cranberry compote and shaved white chocolate, AND WHIPPED CREAM IF DESIRED.






To make shaved chocolate, use a vegetable peeler to trim curls from a bar of white chocolate.

AND NOW FOR THAT GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment. Tell me what your favorite holiday dessert is! One lucky winner will get a Mystery Lovers Kitchen tote plus your choice of one of my books from either series. 




Remember, leave your email so I can reach you if you win. If you don't feel like leaving an entire email, you can type a cryptic email, and I'll try to figure it out. I am a mystery writer, after all. I will not use your email for any other purpose other than to contact the winner.  I'll pick a name tomorrow morning. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or else I'll pick another winner.

Good luck!

Savor the mystery!


******************

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NEXT BOOK OUT: AS GOUDA AS DEAD, coming February, 2015
pre-order here





STIRRING THE PLOT is available for order: order here.


If you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list 
so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests! Big contest coming for the release of AS GOUDA AS DEAD.










81 comments:

  1. The cheesecake looks so yummy! My favorite holiday desserts are anything with chocolate (though right now it is the gluten free chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and walnuts).
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
    Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen, I'm going to attempt a gluten-free yule log today. Wish me luck!

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  2. Love anything with cranberries and that cheesecake looks delish! Can't pick only one favorite holiday dessert. (OK, I'm a Gemini, what can I say?) I love almost ALL cookies, (esp. with nuts) cakes & pies, and especially Christmas Trifles. Yum. Happiest of Holidays to you!

    lola777-22 (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynn, is it a gemini thing? I love sugar, too, and I'm a gemini.

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  3. My favorite holiday treats are pumpkin pie with whipped cream and I also like eggnog. However, that cheesecake looks awesome.

    kaye.killgore@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kaye, I used to make fresh eggnog until eggs got a bad rap. I'm sure the brandy would kill anything, but I don't take the risk any more. I do like an occasional eggnog in the carton. :)

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  4. My favorite holiday dessert is White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies. EMS591@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz...

      Oh, yum. Those sound delicious! I adore gingerbread.
      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  5. Mine is a Danish Christmas dessert called Ris a'lamande. It is a rice pudding lightened with lightly sweetened whipped cream, almond slivers mixed in and served topped with Cherries in Cherry Heering (boozy cherry compote). There is a whole blanched almond in the dessert. The person who finds it in their serving wins a small prize/present.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oops, forgot...little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This might be my new favorite dessert - anything cranberry has to get a vote. It's hard to pick just one thing, but by Christmas I've had just about enough pies. Apple slices are a favorite, though, and fudge, and fancy cookies, and . . . sigh.
    sallycootie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GC, what fun. Your new favorite. I like that. :)

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  8. I love pecan pie for the holidays.
    jslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't had pecan pie in ages. I remember liking it the last time I had it. Enjoy.

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  9. Butterscotch cheese cake from this site. suefoster109@netzero.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue, yum! I like butterscotch as much as I like gingerbread and chocolate and... :) Is it my butterscotch cheese cake recipe? Glad you find things that we share. That's our purpose.

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  10. I love chocolate crinkle cookies. jenniferbyerschambers at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer, crinkle cookies sound so perfect for the holidays! Makes me think "Kris Kringle." :)

      Merry, merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  11. Rum cake
    dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pecan pie (the simple one from the Karo bottle) and a new big tradition at our place - Jack Daniels caramels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jody, what are Jack Daniels caramels? What a neat combo.

      Merry!
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  13. Little mini cheesecakes with caramel topping
    kim
    kjohnson952@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lemon Meringue Pie. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Traveler - I sdore lemon desserts. I'm waiting for my Meyer lemon bush to produce.

      Merry!
      Daryl /Avery

      Delete
  15. Key Lime pie although I admit to a weakness for cranberry orange anything too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Apple Cake is my ultimate fave. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Petite, apple cake is so satisfying. I love that it can be enjoyed year-round.

      Merry!
      Daryl/Avery

      Delete
  17. I only have baklava at the holidays---I love that stuff!!
    Thanks for the contest.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. In your humble (but accurate) opinion, the temperature was to high. Or was the time too long for that temperature?
    Either way,
    Merry Christmas
    Happy Chanukah
    Blessed Solstice
    Happy Kwanza
    And whatever else you hold near and dear.
    (Considering I won your basket of goodies with all those books, I am not leaving my email for this drawing)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Libby, you are so sweet! I appreciate your feedback. Amazing how we have to adjust recipes due to our own needs/ovens, etc. :)

      Happy all.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  19. Just finished making fudge to put in my kids Christmas stockings. It's our favorite by far!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, sweet. Fudge in the stockings instead of coal. :)

      Merry,
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  20. I love the chocolate pecan pie my friend makes only for Christmas. Thank you for this giveaway and the recipe. I love your books! Merry Christmas! areewekidding@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robyn, chocolate pecan pie. Nice! And thanks for the compliment. I'm so pleased that I can entertain.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  21. I went to the Christmas craft fair at the beginning of the month and I won a cake on a raffle. It was delicious and this recipe sounds like it would make that cake.
    I'll have to try it over the weekend. I love cranberries and am always looking for recipes using cranberries. thanks for sharing
    Merry Chirstmas. txmlhl@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary, what fun to find a cake that might match a recipe. Yay!

      Enjoy.
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  22. My favorite holiday dessert changes now and again, but this year it's pumpkin pie! Also is there any substitution for white and dark chocolate...I can't eat them and the cheesecake looks yummy. Thanks grammyd01 (at) comcast (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmm, Gram, not sure about subbing out white and dark chocolate. Can you eat milk chocolate? Carob? I'm not an expert when it comes to this. Any other readers familiar with substitutions? Krista or Cleo???

      Hugs and loving pumpkin pie!

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  23. Your recipe sounds delicious (and I also agree the temperature was too high). My favorite holiday dessert is a Dutch pastry called Banket. It is am almond filled pastry roll and delicious. In Dutch homes this is traditionally made and served for holidays and special occasions. servedogmom@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Dogmom" - it seems Dutch baking uses a lot of almonds in recipes. Sounds lovely.

      Daryl/ Avery

      Delete
  24. Definitely sounds like a recipe I'm going to make, after Christmas. Too late to think about getting the ingredients tonight. Favorite Christmas dessert would be a pumpkin cheesecake. dbahn@iw.net

    ReplyDelete
  25. A fabulous showstopper for Christmas, Daryl! I bet it tastes as good as it looks! Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Krista, it's delish and very very pretty! The whipped cream, as always, adds the pizzazz.

      Daryl/ Avery

      Delete
  26. My favorite is Pecan Delight. My mom made it every year. Luckily I have all her recipes. I will have to try this recipe as I love anything cranberry.

    BWparent17@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ok, Marsha, you've stumped me. What is pecan delight? Sounds fabulous!!

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  27. I like rum cake.
    sgiden at verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oh, that looks so good! Spritz cookies are one of my favorites! They remind me of Christmases past.

    ElaineE246(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elaine, spritz cookies are so pretty and tasty. Love them and I enjoy making them, too.

      Merry, merry! PS Congrats on winning Juliet's book. :)
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
    2. Thank you! And Merry Christmas to you!

      Delete
  29. The cheesecake sounds delicious! My favorite holiday desert is cookies! I love all kind but the ones I hold close to my heart are Pizzelle's my Mom taught me to make them ! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank You!

    ReplyDelete
  30. The cheesecake does sound delicious! My specialty is lemon meringue pie, chocolate cream pie with whipped cream, sugar cookies and rum balls! ruthmazur46@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. We make a light thumb print cookie with almond extract and grape jelly filling with nuts optional.
    catslady5@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cookies are always favorites, aren't they? My grandmother's sugar cookie recipe is so special to all of us. :)

      Merry.
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  32. I love chocolate pecan pie and this is the only time of the year I get to have it.
    lenikaye@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leni, isn't it interesting how we wait to have that special something just once a year?

      Merry.
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  33. Christmas cookies are always my favorite.

    gibsonbk at hiwaay dot net

    ReplyDelete
  34. My favorite holiday dessert is Pumpkin Nut Roll. I got the recipe over 30 years ago after aggravating my co-worker for months to get it from his wife. My persistence paid off and I have made it every Christmas since. I always think of my coworker and the fun we had working night shift at the hospital and having our own potluck holiday meals. Thank you so much for the contest!

    woodrumbetty@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Semi-sweet chocolate log rolls. Mom made them every Christmas. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!

    Tennisace50(@)yahoo(dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh, Linda, lovely. Love when we (and our loved ones) keep up traditions!

      Merry.
      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  36. Lovely recipe! There is just something about cranberries and oranges together that is a great combination.My mother always added some to her homemade cranberry sauce and I add one to my cranberry relish.I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  37. The giveaway is over and the winner is Catslady. I'll be contacting you via email. You'll have 72 hours to respond seeing as it's the holiday. Congrats! There will be more giveaways through the release of AS GOUDA AS DEAD, so check back! Merry Christmas to all.

    Daryl aka Avery

    ReplyDelete
  38. My favorite holiday dessert is Oreo Peppermint Bark
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

    ReplyDelete
  39. Pumpkin pie is my favorite holiday dessert, but I like Christmas cookies too and also the Pepperidge Farm X-mas ones.
    catbooks72(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  40. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  41. I am craving anything cranberry as well as pumpkin cookies.
    judydee22002 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete