Wow did this one go quick! I made this primal white chocolate cranberry cheesecake for my family’s thanksgiving feast and it was one of my favorite cheesecakes I’ve made, and the family was delighted too. The crust and filling were pretty close to my standard recipes, but the sweet and tart cranberry compote just perfectly complimented the creamy heavenly cheesecake. The appearance is simple yet full of holiday cheer with the bright red berries in contrast to the snowy white chocolate shavings and creamy white filling. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser this holiday season.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake (Adapted from Food Network Magazine) (Difficulty-Intermediate; Serves 10–12)
For the crust:
- 1 c raw pecans, finely ground
- 1 c raw walnuts, finely ground
- 1/4 c honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp unsalted grass-fed butter, melted
For the filling:
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped, plus shaved chocolate for topping
- 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 c sour cream or greek yogurt
- 1/4 c pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c honey
- 4 large organic cage-free eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 tsp of salt
For the compote:
- 1 lb organic cranberries (thawed and drained if frozen)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1–2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1–2 tsp grated orange zest
- juice from 1 orange
Make the crust: Set racks in the lower third and middle of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Wrap a springform pan in a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the ground pecans, walnuts, honey, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Make the filling: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pot; remove from the heat. Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.
Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, honey and maple syrup in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the arrow root powder and beat 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate, orange zest, vanilla and salt until combined.
Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on the lower oven rack. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set on the middle oven rack. Bake until the edge is set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven, with the door propped open with a wooden spoon, for 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Make the compote: Combine the honey, syrup, orange zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
Add the cranberries to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until they begin to burst, about 7 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.
Before serving, run a hot knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then remove the springform ring. Top with the cranberry compote and shaved white chocolate.
- 1 c raw pecans, finely ground
- 1 c raw walnuts, finely ground
- ¼ c honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp unsalted grass-fed butter, melted
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped, plus shaved chocolate for topping
- 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 c sour cream or greek yogurt
- ¼ c pure maple syrup
- ¼ c honey
- 4 large organic cage-free eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¼ tsp of salt
- 1 lb organic cranberries (thawed and drained if frozen)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1–2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1–2 tsp grated orange zest
- juice from 1 orange
- Make the crust: Set racks in the lower third and middle of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Wrap a springform pan in a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the ground pecans, walnuts, honey, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Make the filling: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pot; remove from the heat. Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, honey and maple syrup in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the arrow root powder and beat 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate, orange zest, vanilla and salt until combined.
- Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on the lower oven rack. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set on the middle oven rack. Bake until the edge is set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 10 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven, with the door propped open with a wooden spoon, for 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Make the compote: Combine the honey, syrup, orange zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Add the cranberries to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until they begin to burst, about 7 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.
- Before serving, run a hot knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then remove the springform ring. Top with the cranberry compote and shaved white chocolate.
1 Comment
Brian Gates
December 5, 2013 at 3:42 pmWow this was the perfect way to finish up thanksgiving dinner!