Holiday Spice Cheesecake
Country Woman Christmas
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Here is THE perfect dessert to top off Christmas dinner. It's simply stunning with a filling that's creamy and rich with brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice. It freezes well, so busy holiday cooks can make it a month in advance, then defrost in the fridge and trim with whipped cream before serving.
SERVINGS: 12-16
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
- 9 whole graham crackers
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- FILLING:
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
- TOPPING:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Place graham crackers and walnuts in a food processor; cover and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter and cinnamon; process until blended. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside.
For filling, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and salt until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove sides of pan. For topping, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip. Pipe around edge of cheesecake; sprinkle with cinnamon. Yield: 12-16 servings.