California Cheesecake

By stancec44

Can be made 2 days ahead - should be in fridge overnight anyway.

Ingredients

• Topping:
• Crust
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 hard cooked egg yolks
• 1 tsp. minced orange peel
• 1 tsp. minced lemon peel
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) well-chilled unsalted margarine, cut into pieces
• Filling
• 5 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 5 lg. eggs, room temp.
• 2 lg. egg yolks, room temp.
• 1/4 c. whipping cream
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced orange peel
• 1 tsp. minced lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. apricot jam, melted and strained
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
• 16 oz. canned mandarin orange segments in light syrup, drained
• 2 kiwis, peeled & cut into 1/4" rounds

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

For crust: Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Cut in butter and margarine until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Press 1/3 of dough into bottom of 10" springform pan. Pierce w/fork. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Increase oven temp. to 425.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese w/sugar and flour in large bowl until smooth. Blend in eggs and yolks 1 at a time. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set filling aside.

Butter sides of crust lined pan. Press enough of remaining dough onto sides of pan to cover w/ 1/8" thick layer (cover and refrigerate any remaining dough for another use).

Pour filling into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225. (NOTE: took 2 hours at 225 - probably meant 325.) Bake until cheesecake is firm around edges, but still moves slightly in center when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes longer (cake make crack during baking). Transfer to rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight (can be made 2 days ahead).

For topping: Run sharp knife around sides of cheesecake. Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Lightly brush some of the jam atop cheesecake. Arrange whole & halved strawberries decoratively around border, reserving 2. Arrange 2 rows of mandarin oranges inside berry rows. Fill center w/kiwi slices. Place 1 reserved berry in center. Cut remaining berry lengthwise into fifths. Arrange in pinwheel pattern around whole berry. Lightly brush fruit w/remaining jam. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead.)