Recipe For Cooking Eggnog Cheesecake With Cashew Crust

Toaster Oven Cakes :: Holiday Cakes

Eggnog Cheesecake with Cashew Crust

Source: kare11.com

Crust
1 C. finely ground cashews
1 C. finely crushed graham crackers (14 squares)
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter, melted

Filling
32 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C. sugar
1 tea. rum (optional)
1 tea. vanilla extract or flavoring
1/2 tea. ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1 1/2 C. dairy eggnog
Broken nut brittle (optional)

Crust: In a med. bowl, stir together ground cashews, crushed graham crackers and then sugar. Drizzle the melted butter over the cashew mixture. Toss until mixed well. Press the cashew mixture onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 in. up the sides of a10-in. springform pan. Wrap the outside of the springform pan securely with heavy foil. Set aside.

Filling: In a lrg. mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on med.-high speed for 3 to 4 min. or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the 1 C. sugar for 2 to 3 min. or until mixture is completely smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl. Reduce speed to med., beat in rum (if desired), vanilla extract or flavoring and nutmeg. Add eggs all at once; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in eggnog.

Pour filling into crust-line pan. Place springform pan in a lrg. roasting pan*. (Make sure there is at least 1 in. between springform pan and edges of roasting pan.) Place roasting pan in oven rack. Carefully pour enough hot tap water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 70 min. or until edge of cheesecake is firm and center appears nearly set when lightly shaken.

Carefully remove cheesecake pan from water bath; transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 min.

Remove foil. Loosen crust from sides of pan and cool 30 min. more.

Remove sides of pan and cool completely. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or store in refrigerator for up to 2 days).

To serve, cut into wedges and sprinkle each with nut brittle, if desired.

NOTE: To bake cheesecake without a water bath, prepare cheesecake as above, except omit wrapping pan with foil. Place springform pan with filling in a shallow baking pan. Bake without water bath for 45 to 50 min. or until center appears nearly set when shaken. The cheesecake\s surface will have a more golden color.

Nutrition facts per serving: 450 cal, 34 g fat, 118 mg chol, 288 mg sodium, 31 g carbo, 0 g fiber, 8 g pro