Email to Buny      

Desserts-Cheesecake: Eggnog Cheesecake w/ Cashew Crust

Source of Recipe

Comforts of Home Cookbook, posted by stella


List of Ingredients

1 C finely ground cashews
1 C finely crushed graham crackers (14 squares)
½ C sugar
½ C butter, melted
4 – 8 oz. Packages cream cheese, softened
1 C sugar
1 Tbsp. Rum (optional)
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1 ½ C dairy eggnog
Broken nut brittle (optional)


Recipe

Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together ground cashews, crushed graham crackers and ½ C sugar. Drizzle melted butter over mixture. Toss until mixed well. Press mixture onto bottom and about 1-1/2” up sides of pan. Wrap outside of pan securely with heavy foil. Set aside.

Filling: In large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 C sugar for 2-3 minutes or until mixture is completely smooth, scraping sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, beat in rum, vanilla and nutmeg. Add eggs all at once, beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in eggnog.

Pour filling into pan. Place pan in large roasting pan, making sure there is at least 1” between pan and edges of roasting pan. Place roasting pan on oven rack. Carefully pour enough hot tap water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

Bake in 350° oven for 60-70 minutes or until edge of cheesecake and center appears nearly set when lightly shaken. Carefully remove cheesecake pan from water bath; transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove foil. Loosen crust from sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan and cool completely. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Can be stored up to 2 days. To serve, cut into wedges and sprinkle each piece with nut brittle, if you like.