Vanilla Cheesecake With Cherry Topping Recipes

CLASSIC CHERRY-TOPPED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese, 1 cup of the remaining sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook cherries, lemon juice and remaining sugar in saucepan on medium heat 8 to 10 min. or until cherries are tender and sauce is thickened. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Spoon cherry topping over cheesecake before serving.

VANILLA CHEESECAKE WITH CHERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• To prepare crust combine first 3 ingredients, tossing with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons water, toss with a fork until moist and crumbly. Gently press mixture into bottom and 1½ inches up sides of a 9 spring form pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325.
• To prepare filling, beat cheeses with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine 1 cup sugar, flour, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add to cheese mixture, beat well, Add sour cream; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans, stir seeds into cheese mixture, reserving bean halves.
• Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven, run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• To prepare topping, combine port, ½ cup sugar cherries, and reserved vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan, bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy. Remove vanilla bean halves, discard.
• Combine juice, cornstarch: and 4 teaspoons water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. Serve over cheesecake.

VANILLA CHEESECAKE WITH RHUBARB TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200C, fan 180°C Put the digestive biscuits and sugar into a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like fine gravel. Pour in the melted butter and pulse again. Pour the mixture into the base of a 25cm (10in) springform cake tin, press into the base, and pack tightly flat with the base of a tumbler. Bake for 5 minutes, remove, and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to gas 3, 170C, fan 150°C Put the cream cheese and the caster sugar in the mixer and beat for 5 minutes or until just combined and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla seeds, flour, cream, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Pour ito the tin and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour, or until set but still slightly wobbly in the centre.
• Turn the oven off and remove the cheesecake. Run a knife around the edge of the tin and return it to the oven, with the door ajar, to cool. Leave for 1 hour, then chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Cheesecakes can crack when chilled, but don't worry if it does - you can cover them with the rhubarb.
• Chop the rhubarb into 1in pieces. In a medium pan add the sugar, orange juice and rhubarb. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Soak the sheet of gelatine in cold water for a few minutes until it softens, squeeze the water out and add the gelatine to the rhubarb. Gently heat until the gelatine melts and the rhubarb is tender (about another 3 minutes). Pour the mixture over the chilled cheesecake and chill for 1 1/2 hours to set. Cut into slices and serve with some mint, if you like.