Cheesecake with Cranberry Jewel Topping

Cheesecake with Cranberry Jewel Topping
Categories: Desserts, Holiday
Yield: 10 servings

1 1/2 c Vanilla wafers, crushed
1/4 c Sugar
6 tb Butter; melted

--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
1/2 c Whipping cream
1 pk Vanilla powder
1 1/2 lb Cream cheese; room temp.
1 c Sugar
1 pn Salt
4 lg Eggs

--------------------------TOPPING-------------------------------
12 oz Fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Cranberry juice concentrate
1/4 c Water

Preheat oven to 350 F.

CRUST: Wrap the bottom and outsides of 9-inch springform pan with
aluminum foil. Lightly butter inside of pan and set aside.

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture onto bottom and
halfway up sides of prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes on
center rack of preheated oven. Set aside, but do not turn off oven.

FILLING: Using electric mixer, blend together all ingredients. Add
eggs and mix just until well-combined. Pour filling into prepared
crust.

Bake until center is just set, about 50 minutes. Refrigerate cake
immediately, and leave until thoroughly chilled (at least 6 hours or
overnight).

TOPPING: Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over
medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and continue
cooking for 3 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve set over a
lage bowl, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to force as much
of the liquid through sieve as possible. Spoon warm topping evenly
over cold cake. Refrigerate until topping is set, at least 2 hours.
(Can be prepared 1 day before serving. Store covered in
refrigerator.)

To serve, pipe rosettes of whipped cream around edges of cake.
Garnish with whole cranberries.

Modified from from a recipe in Bon Appetit (November 1994) Typed for
you by Karen Mintzias