Eggnog Cheesecake With Pomegranate Glaze Recipes

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap 3 layers of foil around the outside of a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Butter the pan.
• Combine the graham crackers, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake just until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth, about 35 seconds. Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
• Set the cheesecake in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to the baking pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake until almost set (the center will move slightly when the pan is gently shaken) but not puffed, about 1 hour. Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• For the pomegranate sauce: Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Add the pomegranate seeds and mix to combine.
• Pour the pomegranate sauce on top of the cooled cheesecake and serve.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a 9-inch spring-form pan. For the Crust: Prepare the crust by melting the butter and combining it with the gingersnap crumbs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Make sure all of the ingredients are moistened evenly. Press them into the bottom of pan and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is nicely toasted. Set aside to cool.
• 2. For the Cake Batter: In a mixer, cream the cream cheese until it is softened and smooth. Then add the heavy cream and sugar, mix until everything is fully combined. Then, add the eggs one at a time until they are all incorporated and the mixture is glossy. Last, add the vanilla, dark rum, cognac, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
• 3. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the cooled gingersnap crust. Then, wrap the pan very tightly with aluminum foil so that it can be placed in a hot water bath. (You are not going for looks here - wrap the aluminum foil as tightly as possible - you don't want the batter ruined by water seeping in!!) Then, fill a deep baking or roasting pan with water until it is at least halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake for 60-70 minutes. Or, until it is set and the top is light brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (This pic is mine)
• 4. For the Glaze: Add sugar, cornstarch, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate juice to a small saucepan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and starts to get syrupy. Allow to cool to room temperature before drizzling over cool cheesecake to serve.
• 5. Cognac is brandy that comes from Cognac, France, and meets specific criteria: it has to have been aged in oak casks for at least two years at a storage facility that is registered with the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC); the minimum level of alcohol content when sold must be 40%; no additives may be put in the cognac; and a label on the bottle should indicate all information about the spirit, exactly where the grapes were harvested from as well as the name and the address of the cognac producer. FOR SUBSTITUTION:Non-Alcoholic You can also substitute cognac in a recipe with a non-alcoholic beverage. Cognac is made from grapes so that is the obvious choice, but make sure you are using unsweetened grape juice. You can try other juices such as apple, peach or apricot as long as they have no added sugar. In addition, non-alcoholic wine and brandy are available in the supermarket if you want to stick to a taste that is closer to brandy. Read more: Cognac Substitutes for Cooking | eHow.com
• 6. Dark Rum Substitution: "We have no idea what you're making or how important the rum flavor is to the finished dish, so finding an acceptable substitute is going to land mostly on your shoulders. You can try water, white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, or apple cider. Your recipe's call for dark rum, though, is surely an indication that it wants a lot of flavor, so all of those may fall disappointingly short. Rum is distilled from molasses or cane syrup, so your best bet could be a mixture of molasses thinned with pineapple juice or white grape juice." From: http://www.ochef.com/1029.htm

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a food processor combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and eggnog; process until smooth. Blend in eggs, rum and nutmeg. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 250 and bake for 45 minutes, or until center of cake is barely firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately loosen cake from rim. Let cake cool completely before removing the rim.