# Sunset Cheesecake



## kansasgirl (Nov 30, 2004)

This is an awesome cheesecake, especially at this time of the year. Enjoy!

Sunset Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 c Crushed cookies (gingersnaps, graham crackers, wafers, etc) 
1/2 c Chopped pecans 
6 T Unsalted butter, melted 
1/4 c Granulated sugar 

Cranberry Glaze:
1 can Whole berry cranberry sauce 
OR
2 c Homemade cranberry orange relish 
2 tb Sugar 
1 tb Cornstarch 
1 tb Grated lemon zest 
1 tb Lemon juice 

White chocolate filling:
1 1/2 c Fresh orange juice 
1-3 inch x 1 inch piece of orange peel 
4 - 8 oz boxes cream cheese 
2/3 c Sugar 
1 tb Grated orange zest 
2 tb Cranberry liqueur (schnapps), opt 
8 oz White chocolate, melted 
4  Eggs 

Candied orange topping:
4 c Water 
2 c Sugar 
3  Seedless oranges (unpeeled), cut into paper-thin slices (for garnish) 
Whipped cream 

Crust:
1.Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 8 inch springform pan. 
2.Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl until crumbs are moistened. Press over bottom and up side of buttered pan. Bake 10 min. Let cool completely on wire rack. 

Cranberry Glaze Filling: 
1.Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in the cranberry sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside to cool slightly.

White Chocolate Filling: 
1.Heat oven to 350F. Boil the orange juice and piece of orange peel in a heavy medium saucepan until the juice is reduced to 3 tb, about 12 minutes. Remove and discard the strip of orange peel and set aside the reduced orange juice. 
2.Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, grated orange zest, liquor, and reduced orange juice until smooth. Beat in the melted white chocolate and then the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. 

Assembly:
1.Pour the cranberry glaze filling into the prepared crust, spreading evenly. Pour the white chocolate filling over the cranberry layer, taking care not to mix the two layers.
2.Bake about 50 minutes; the top will be dry and the sides puffed, but the middle should still be jiggly. Move cheesecake to a wire rack and cool completely to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Candied Oranges Topping: 
1.Cover a wire rack with waxed paper. Set aside. Combine the water and sugar in a heavy shallow wide skillet. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes longer. 
2.Add the orange slices 1 at a time and adjust the heat so that the syrup bubbles only around the edges of the pan. Cook the oranges for one hour. Turn over the top layer of oranges and cook until the oranges are translucent and the orange peels tender, about another one hour longer. 3.Lift and drain each orange slice out of the syrup, and arrange the slices in a single layer on the prepared rack. Let dry 1 hour. Boil the orange-sugar syrup until thick, about 6 minutes.

Serving:
1.Loosen and remove the sides of the springform pan. Set the cheesecake on a serving dish. Overlap the candied orange slices around the top of the cheesecake. Reheat the orange syrup, if necessary, and brush over the orange slices. Drizzle any remainder over each serving. Garnish with whipped cream.


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## MJ (Dec 6, 2004)

Mmmm. Num num NUM! Thanks kansasgirl


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