Pomegranate Cheesecake
Why I Love This Recipe
This was the dessert I made for my Pom Wonderful Dinner Party. If you're a cheesecake fan and you enjoy pomegranates, this is the dessert for you.
Ingredients You'll Need
Crust
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 - 5 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons sugar
Filling
3 - 8oz packs of cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Sour Cream Topping (btw...this cheesecake as 2....yes TWO toppings)
16 oz sour cream
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pomegranate topping
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (more to garnish if desired)
Directions
Crust:
Combine ingredients
Preheat the oven to 325'
Pat on the bottom of a springform pan and up the sides a little. (I like to use the bottom of a glass to get up along the edges....works wonderfully.)
Place in the refrigerator while mixing the filling together.
Filling:
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into your graham cracker crust.
Place in the middle rack in your oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into a dish on a rack below your cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour, turning the cake 90' halfway through. If needed, add another cup of hot water to the baking dish. This helps prevent big cracks by providing a humid atmosphere within your oven.
Sour Cream Topping:
Combing and pour on top of the cheesecake.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate
Pomegranate Topping:
Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of pomegranate juice
In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring the remaining 1/2 cup pomegranate juice and sugar to a boil Stir in the cornstarch mixture and heat, stirring constantly until everything thickens. Stir in the pomegranate arils. Pour everything into a bowl and set the bowl inside a larger bowl that contains ice water.
Stir to cool. Spread over the top of your chilled cheesecake. Chill an additional 2 hours or more.