Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake

Coffee, Chocolate, Cheesecake ~ if you are lover of these 3 food groups, you will love when they are wonderfully brought together in this cheesecake.   There is just the right amount of espresso and a touch of cocoa in this creamy cheesecake batter which gets poured into a delicious and generous amount of chocolate graham cracker crust.  This combo bakes into a beautiful cheesecake, which could be enough, you could definitely leave it just like that and it would be wonderful.  But if you'd like to enjoy the coffee/chocolate flavors even further, garnish this cake with homemade chocolate whipped cream and chocolate covered espresso beans and maybe a sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings.  This cake was inspired by my nieces request for a coffee cheesecake for her birthday and adapted from Fine Cooking's Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake.

Crust:
8 oz Chocolate Graham Crackers ~ about 2 cups of crumbs
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
7 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
3 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 cup sour cream plus 1 Tbs heavy cream ~ whisked together
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
pinch of table salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsps instant espresso granules
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
 4 large eggs, at room temp
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Garnishes:  Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, Chocolate Shavings

Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.  In a food processor, process graham crackers until they are crumbs, add sugar and melted butter and process until evenly moist and clump together slightly.  Transfer this mixture to a 9" cheesecake pan and press evenly onto the bottom and along the sides ~ about 2 " up ~ using a flat bottomed measuring cup.   Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven.  Lower the oven temp to 300 degrees.
In a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sour cream/heavy cream mixture, flour and salt on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl and paddle as needed until very smooth and fluffy, about 4 mins.  The Cream cheese should have no lumps at this point.  Add the sugar and continue beating until well blended and smooth.  Add the vanilla and espresso and cocoa, beat until blended.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating each until blended and incorporated.  Do not overbeat at this point or the cheesecake will puff too much and may crack as it cools.  Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top.  Bake until the center is still a bit jiggly about 65-75 mins.  The cake will look slightly puffed around the edges and the center will still look moist.  Remove from oven and after about 5 mins  run a knife around pan edges to help prevent cracking as it cools.  Let cool completely then cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.  The whipped cream can be prepared the night before or at least 4 before serving.
Put chocolate chips into a medium bowl.  Pour cream into a small heavy saucepan, stir in sugar.  Heat over med heat and bring to a boil.  Pour the hot cream over chocolate chips, stir until smooth and chocolate is melted.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.  Transfer to a chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Beat to spreading or piping consistency.   Spread over entire top of cake if desired or pipe decoratively on edges or center of cake, alternatively top each cut slice with a dollop of whipped cream.  Garnish the cake as desired with your favorite chocolate covered espresso beans and sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings.  Let it sit at room temp at least an hour before serving.  Slice and Enjoy!!!!

My favorite Cheesecake Pan ~ Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan, 10 Cup, 9 Inch, available here:  http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B000237FSA

 

                        

Italian Cheesecake with Berries and Cream

My favorite type of cheesecakes are those made with ricotta cheese.  The flavor is so distinctive, rich and creamy yet lighter then a cream cheese cheesecake.  Orange and lemon zests brighten and flavor the creamy ricotta mixture so nicely.  Many recipes call for no crust, but I need a crust, don't you?!!  This sweet and almondy~amaretti cookie crust pairs with it perfectly.  Add some fresh or macerated berries and cream and you have one delicious and decadent dessert!  Or it can be enjoyed simply as it is with no toppings or just the whipped cream.  An added bonus - ricotta cheesecake has more nutritional value then a cream cheese cheesecake: is a good source of calcium and protein and has less calories :)

 

Crust:

1 cup finely crushed amaretti cookies - amaretti cookies can be found in Italian specialty stores

3 1/2 Tbsps butter, melted  

1Tbsp sugar

Ricotta mixture:

4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese   
1 1/4 cups sugar 
1/4 cup flour                 
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsps pure vanilla extract                  

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp grated orange zest

5 large eggs

Garnishes:

1 pint fresh berries

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tsps sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cookie crumbs with butter and sugar and press onto bottom of 9" springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes, let cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together ricotta cheese, sugar and flour on medium until well blended.  Add whipping cream vanilla and zests, mix well.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until blended after each addition, then mix until blended well and smooth.  Pour mixture over crust and bake on middle rack for about 1 hour and 10 minutes until center is almost set.
Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake.  Cool before removing rim of pan.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight. 
Serve with fresh berries or macerate the berries by tossing with 1 Tbps sugar and letting sit for 30 mins to draw out the juices, cover and refrigerate before serving.  Pipe whipped cream around edges of cheesecake.  In a chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high cold whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. You can either top the cheesecake with the berries or serve alongside to top each slice with.  I had to serve mine on the side because my daughter loves plain Italian Cheesecake!

 

 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

This is the perfect cheesecake for the fall holidays, with it's  beautiful hues of orange and brown; sweet and spicy flavors, and creamy pumpkiness that pairs so well with a tangy gingersnap cookie crust.  Topping it decoratively with pecans and whipped cream as desired can make it even more decadent. 

Recipe:
Crust
1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp sugar
Filling
3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
Optional toppings ~ pecan halves, and/or fresh whipped cream with a dash of cinnamon added to it
For crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap outside of a 9" springform pan with aluminum foil.  Mix crumbs, butter and sugar in a bowl. Press mixture onto bottom and about an inch up sides of pan.  Bake crust until slightly darkened, about 5 mins.  Set aside.
For filling:  Blend cream cheese and sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until smooth.  Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and spices. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl.  Transfer filling to crust. Bake cheesecake until center is set and edges begin to crack, about 1 hour and 5 mins.  Cool in pan on rack.  Chill uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.  Loosen pan sides with knife and remove sides.  Arrange pecan halves around edges or in concentric decorative circles throughout top of cake.  Add whipped cream too if desired. 
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine Nov 2003

Enjoy!

I highly recommend this Nordic Ware Leakproof Cheesecake Pan, available here:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B000237FSA

 

Marble Cheesecake

A very decadent, creamy and rich cheesecake ~ chocolate is added to part of the batter and "marbled" in with a knife or decorating spatula.  This was my first attempt and plan to try again adding the chocolate only on top to achieve a more chocolate marbling appearance. I hear it takes practice to get the marbling effect you want, so it may be the 2nd or 3rd try at this cheesecake when it comes "just right".   My cheesecake cracked during cooling, but I did forget the step to run the knife around the edges - so don't know if this would've helped ~ let me know how yours did and if you have any good tricks to prevent cracking :)  I like the addition of whipped cream  ~ it can hide cracks and adds another creamy texture.

 

 

Recipe:

Crust

5 oz Oreo cookies - just the cookie parts not the cream

2 1/2 Tbsps melted butter

Filling

32 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tbsps flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk

5 large eggs

1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup sour cream, plus 1/4 cup

6 oz semisweet chocolate, melted according to package directions, then slightly cooled

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Process the oreo cookies in a food processor fitted with a blade until they are fine crumbs, add the melted butter and process until combined.  Spray a 9" spring form pan with baking spray.  Press cookie mixture into bottom of pan, wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan so it comes at least 1" up the sides. and chill.  In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment place the cream cheese and whip it until smoother.  Add the sugar and continue to whip until blended.  Add the flour and salt and blend.  Add the yolk and eggs 1 at a time beating after each addition and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the vanilla and 2/3 cup sour cream and blend together until smooth.  Ladle off 1 and 3/4 cup of the mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sour cream with the cooled melted chocolate, then whisk into the reserved 1 3/4 cups filling until smooth.  Pour about 1/3 of the vanilla batter into the bottom of the pan, then add the 2 fillings alternating them to fill the pan.  Using the flat surface of a knife or icing spatula swirl the 2 batters slightly to marbleize it.  Alternatively, you can add all of the vanilla filling into the pan first, then top with spoonfuls of the chocolate batter and marble it through the batter and over the top with knife or spatula to desired design. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 275 degrees and bake for 1 more hour. Then, turn the oven off and let the cake cool in the oven for 45 minutes.  The cake will still shimmy, but it will set up as it chills.  Run a knife along the edge of the pan to just loosen the cake a bit from the sides.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  When ready to serve, loosen the edges with a knife some more and remove sides of spring form pan.  Cut and enjoy!  Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.  See this recipe for homemade whipped cream recipe:  http://rosiescountrybaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/godiva-chocolate-cheesecake.html

This recipe was adapted from Gale Gand's recipe at FoodNetwork.com

Enjoy!



Italian Cheesecake with Strawberries

Last month my family and I ate at my favorite NYC restaurant, Becco and had the pleasure of sharing a piece of their delicious Italian Cheesecake with Strawberries for dessert.   The texture was so creamy, it had a hint of orange flavor and a delicious crust.  Since we don't go to the city that often, I had to try to recreate it at home to enjoy whenever I wanted to.  Here are the results of my recreation of this decadent, delicious cheesecake: Italian Cheesecake with a combination of Ricotta and Mascarpone cheeses, baked on an amaretti and graham cracker cookie crust, topped with macerated strawberries and strawberry sauce, it's so good I can't stop eating it, hope you love it too ♥ 

 

Recipe:
Crust 
 1/2 cup crushed amaretti cookies
1/2 cup crushed graham cracker cookies
 3 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
 1 Tbsp sugar
Cheesecake
2 lbs whole milk ricotta cheese, drained to remove excess liquid
1 lb mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1  1/2 Tbsp orange zest
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp aroma millefiori concentrate (flower essence) ~ can be found in Italian specialty stores
Strawberries
1 quart of strawberries
1 Tbsp sugar
Strawberry sauce ~ optional
2-3 of the sliced strawberries and 2 tsps of the strawberry liquid from the macerated strawberries
1 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp strawberry jam or preserves
Directions:
Spray a 9"  springform pan with baking spray and preheat oven to 325 degrees.    Prepare crust:  in a food processor crush amaretti cookies and graham crackers to fine crumbs to equal 1 cup cookie crumbs.  Add the melted butter and sugar and process until incorporated.  Press crust into bottom of pan and up along sides, and bake in the oven for 8 minutes on a lined cookie sheet.  Cheesecake batter:  in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the ricotta, mascarpone and sugar together until smooth.  Then add the eggs, zest, cream, vanilla and flower concentrate and mix well until thoroughly incorporated and smooth.   Pour batter over crust and bake on center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the pan gently throughout to insure even baking.  Turn off the oven and let rest inside for 20 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.  While cheesecake is cooking, wash and slice the strawberries and place in a bowl with the 1 Tbsp sugar.  Stir and cover, refrigerate overnight ~ the next morning the strawberries will be red and juicy and can be used alone to top the cheesecake or served alongside it.  If additional strawberry sauce is desired, in a small pot ~ cook on low-med heat all of the sauce ingredients, stirring the cornstarch in well with a fork to dissolve, until slightly thickened.  Serve sauce alongside cheesecake, top each slice with strawberries and drizzle with sauce.  Dust slices with powdered sugar if desired.

Out of the oven, just set and lightly golden

Macerating the strawberries to draw out the sweetness and juices

 

Served with the strawberries and sauce

Yummy crust




Enjoy!!

 

I use this excellent leak-proof cheesecake pan, available in my baking store:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B000237FSA

 

 





Red Velvet Mini Cheesecakes

As Valentines Day is approaching, we think of those we love and plan ways to show them through sweet gifts and gestures.  I'm thinking up festive desserts,  and these bright Red Velvet Cheesecakes would make the perfect Valentine dessert.  A rich red velvet cheesecake  on a chocolate cookie crust, topped with fresh whipped cream, then garnished with chocolate shavings and heart decorations, pure love!

 

Recipe

Crust:

1 9 oz package thin chocolate wafer cookies, crushed

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)

Filling:

2 1/2 8 oz packages cream cheese (20 oz total), softened

1 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

2 tsps pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp red food color

3 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Garnishments - dark chocolate shavings ~ I used a Ghirardelli Twilight Delight bar, sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use 2 6 cavity small cheesecake pans ~ to yield 12 2 1/2" cheesecakes, or bake 1 large cheesecake and adjust cooking times.

Mix cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar, divide crumb mixture among cups and press.  In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually add in sugar and cocoa and beat on med until fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and food color.  Beat in eggs, one at a time until blended, then heavy cream, scrape sides of bowl as needed with rubber spatula, beat until well blended.  If you have any chunks of cream cheese, change to a whisk attachment and beat until smooth.  Divide batter evenly among pans, each will be filled out 3/4 of the way.  Bake approximately 20 minutes or until centers are just set.  Cool at room temp then refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  For whipped cream, in chilled bowl of mixer, with a whisk attachment, beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla on high until stiff peaks form.  Spoon or pipe whipped cream onto chilled cheesecakes.  Garnish with chocolate shavings and decorative sprinkles as desired.

Recipe Adapted from Betty Crocker

 

Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day!

Pans available in Baking Store:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B002NV3V6O

Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake

My sister who is turning 50 requested a chocolate cheesecake for her birthday, she recalled a godiva cheesecake that she once had and loved.  I have never made a chocolate cheesecake, but I'm always up to trying something new.   So I searched the godiva website where I found many delicious and decadent looking chocolate recipes including a variety of cheesecakes, you've got to check it out: http://www.godiva.com/recipes/recipes-collect.aspx  I chose the Chocolate Cheesecake with whipped cream topping and made a few slight changes.  This was a very rich and chocolaty cheesecake, I'm happy to say the birthday girl enjoyed it very much!  This cake would be great for the holiday table too!!

Recipe:

Crust

1 1/4 cups oreo cookie crumbs- just the cookie part no cream 

or 1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

6 Tbsp melted butter

Filling

3 3.5 oz Godiva Dark Chocolate bars- coarsely chopped (found in the candy/chocolate aisle) or any fine dark chocolate like Lindt

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temp

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temp

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brewed hot coffee

2 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped cream topping

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish

Godiva dark chocolate, grated

Godiva dark chocolate truffles

Preheat oven to 325.  Wrap bottom of 9 inch cheesecake pan with aluminum foil.  Process cookies in a food processor until med-fine crumbs.  Add butter and process until blended.  Press mixture into bottom of pan, refrigerate.

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, then stir.  Microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth, let cool.

Look at all that luscious dark chocolate, I used a combination of Godiva and Lindt

Beat cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy.  Add sugar  gradually and beat until blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping bowl with spatula as needed.  Dissolve salt in hot coffee.  At low speed slowly beat in the coffee, then the vanilla and chocolate until blended.  Pour mixture over crust.  Place cheesecake in a roasting pan, and pour boiling water into pan till about 1/2 way up the side of the cheesecake pan.  Bake for about 60 minutes or until center is firm.  Turn off oven and crack open door, let cheesecake cool in oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from roasting pan and cool cheesecake on wire rack.  Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Make the topping:  loosen the edges of cheesecake with a knife and remove sides of pan.  Beat cream, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, for best results - use cold bowl and whisk by placing these in the freezer a few minutes, the cream should also be very cold.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Spread 1/2 the cream over top.   Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with remaining cream and pipe a border of rosettes around edge of cheesecake.  Sprinkle grated chocolate on top, and garnish with a few truffles.

Recipe adapted from Godiva's Chocolate Cheesecake

Enjoy!               

Ricotta Cheesecake with Blackberries

This Cheesecake is yummy, an Italian Cheesecake with a hint of lime, a sweet biscoff cookie crust topped with fresh blackberries and whipped cream!

Recipe adapted from Chef Dennis at: http://www.askchefdennis.com/2012/ricotta-cheesecake-with-blackberries/      Thank you Chef Dennis for this wonderful recipe :)
Crust:
1 package biscoff cookies
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Ricotta Cream:
24 oz whole milk ricotta
8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 1/8 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp flour
grated peel of 1 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
Topping:
1 pint blackberries
2 Tbsp blackberry jam
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a food processor process the biscoff cookies until fine crumbs, add melted butter and process until blended.  Press cookie/butter mixture onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.  Place 2 sheets of aluminum foil under springform pan to protect from any leakages and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes, then let cool.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment blend together the cheeses and sour cream until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, blending after each.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth.  Pour cream mixture over crust and bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes or until center is almost set, will still be slightly jiggly.  Let cool overnight, covered in refrigerator.  Heat jam in a small pan to thin, use a pastry brush and brush over top of cheesecake.  Then arrange the blackberries in circles from the outside to the middle, leaving a small border on edge for the whipped cream.  Cool your bowl and whip attachment and heavy cream for several minutes in freezer, then attach to stand mixer and whip cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff.  Decorate the edges of cheesecake with the whip cream using a pastry bag and star tip, or any decoration as desired.

Enjoy!

Samoas Cheesecake!

It's Girl Scout cookie time and I bought my favorite box of cookies again - Samoas, I just love the combination of coconut, caramel, chocolate and shortbread cookie :)  This time though to prevent myself from eating the whole box I thought to transform the cookie into another dessert - how about a samoas cheesecake?   I wanted to infuse all those good flavors into the cheesecake and into every bite.  This was an experiment so feel free to tweak things here and there to your preference, here's what I came up with:

Use 1 box of Samoas cookies, minus 1 or 2 cookies that you can't resist eating.  Put them in a food processor and pulse until you get medium cookie crumbs, or chop or crush.  Set aside.

1 1/2 cups shortbread cookies like lorna doone or graham crackers processed in a food processor to fine crumbs, add 1 Tbsp sugar to that and 3 1/2 Tbsp melted butter and process again until combined, then press this mixture into a 9 inch cheesecake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until set and lightly golden, let cool and set aside.

Beat together the following ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until well blended and smooth:
2 1/2 8 oz packages of cream cheese brought to room temperature
3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Then fold in about 2/3 of the crushed samoa's

Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with mini chocolate chips - just to cover- this will give it a cookie/ chocolate layer at the bottom, then pour batter over.

Sprinkle the top of batter with about 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Line bottom of pan with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees for about 1 hour - when its about 15 minutes left of cooking time sprinkle the top with about 1/2 the remaining cookie crumbs, continue baking until middle is almost set, will still be slightly jiggly. Let cool. Drizzle top with caramel and melted semi sweet chocolate chips with a few drops heavy cream to help melt, then top with any remaining cookie crumbs. 

 Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, then cut into and enjoy this very sinful cheesecake!  

I made mine using a 6 inch cheesecake pan and had leftover batter.  I used the extra batter to make several mini cheesecakes with prepared mini graham cracker crusts, following all the above steps except for the cookie crust.   Alternatively you can make the whole recipe with these mini cups, these were fun to eat! 

 

 

What will you do with your girl scout cookies???

Whatever your plan enjoy them!

Eggnog Cheesecake

I used to enjoy eggnog as a child at the holidays, the sweet, spicy and creamy milk was definitely a nice treat.   Now as an adult I find it too rich and creamy as a drink,  but I still want to enjoy it as a treat.  How about an eggnog cheesecake?  This is sweet, rich and yummy with a crust to die for (according to my 9 year old daughter)


Eggnog Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 whole package biscoff cookies, ground in a food processor (equals 2 cups ground cookie crumbs)  Nilla wafers or Graham cracker crumbs can be substituted

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

3  8oz packages cream cheese (I used 2 that were 1/3 less fat, and 1 full fat)

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 large eggs

1 cup eggnog

1/4 cup dark rum

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Place a 9-10 inch springform pan on a double thickness of aluminum foil and securely wrap foil around edges (this will prevent any leakages in your oven)  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray bottom and sides of pan lightly with baking spray, then line bottom with parchment paper, and lightly spray bottom with baking spray (this will make for easier removal of  yours slices when serving)

In a small bowl combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter and mix well.  

Then press in pan.  I use something flat like this measuring cup to press down from the middle to the edges.

When all the crumbs are pressed, bake for 12 mins then let cool.

Beat cream cheese at med speed in a stand mixer with paddle attachment until creamy, gradually add sugar and cornstarch, beat well.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add eggnog and rum and beat until smooth.  Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour or until center is almost set, still should be a little jiggly.  Let cool, run knife along edges to loosen.

Beat heavy whipping cream on high with a whisk attachment, slowly add sugar and vanilla, beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread on cheesecake with a spatula, pipe designs if desired.  Sprinkle whip cream very lightly with nutmeg for garnish.  Cover and refrigerate at lease 8 hours.  Enjoy!

         Enjoy!