Mandarin Orange Cheesecake
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Crust:
  • 1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • Filling:
  • 2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
  • Topping One:
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • Topping Two:
  • 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • macadamia nuts for decorating top
DIRECTIONS
  1. Crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt the butter. Combine the mixture and press into and halfway up the sides of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Bake the shell for 5 minutes. Let the shell cool in the pan on a rack.
  3. Filling: Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, sugar, vanilla and orange extract. Pour the batter into the shell and bake in the center of the oven
  4. for 30 minutes. Let the cake stand in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.
  6. Topping One: In a bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. Spread the mixture on the cake and chill.
  8. Topping 2: Over a small bowl, drain the Mandarin oranges, reserving the syrup and the fruit. In a small saucepan combine 1/3 cup of syrup, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until it is thickened. Let the glaze cool for 5 minutes. Spread it on the cake and chill the cake, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours.
  10. Remove the sides of the pan, transfer the cake to a cake stand or plate and decorate it with macadamia nuts and the reserved Mandarin orange sections.