Eggnog Cheescake

By maredan

Ingredients

• Crust
• * 1 cup all purpose flour
• * 1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 2 1/2 c cookies), plus extra for coating the sides of the cheesecake
• * dash of salt
• * 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Filling
• * 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• * 1 3/4 cups sugar
• * 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• * 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• * 1 tablespoon rum extract
• * 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• * 1/4 teaspoon salt
• * 5 egg
• Sugared Fruits
• * 1 egg white
• * 1 cup fruit sugar, (superfine sugar)
• * whole fruits, such as red and green grapes, apricots, strawberries, fresh currants, and small plums
• Spiked Chantilly Cream
• * 1 cup whipping cream
• * 2 tablespoons sugar
• * 2 tablespoons dark rum
• * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine flour, gingersnap crumbs and salt in a bowl. Add melted buter and mix until an even, crumbly texture.
3. Press crust into a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, pressing up the sides a bit.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F.
2. Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
3. Gradually add sugar, again scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add in flour, vanilla, rum extract, nutmeg and salt and blend.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape filling over baked crust.
5. Place cheesecake pan into a larger baking pan. Pour boiling water 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
6. Allow cheesecake to sit for 1 hour (out of water) before chilling. Chill over night.

Sugared Fruits

1. Whisk egg white just until foamy.
2. Brush surface of fruits with egg whites, and sprinkle with superfine sugar to coat. Set fruit on a cooling rack to dry for 2-4 hours. Do not refrigerate.

To Assemble

1. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen, and remove springform pan. Use extra gingersnap crumbs to coat the outside of the cheesecake.
2. Top cheesecake with sugared fruits and either spread a some of the spiked Chantilly cream over top or serve alongside.

Spiked Chantilly Cream

1. Combine the whipping cream, sugar, dark rum and vanilla extract in a clean bowl and whip until medium stiff peaks form.