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CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKE




Source of Recipe


Epicurious


Recipe Introduction


Tangy crème fraîche and a very grown-up rum-pineapple topping take cheesecake to an entirely new level. For best results, use Philadelphia-brand cream cheese.


List of Ingredients




Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 large eggs
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Topping
1 extra-sweet pineapple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, cored
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum


Recipe



For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in bowl. Press mixture over bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 23/4-inch sides. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of foil. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and blend 1 minute. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in crème fraîche. Transfer filling to crust. Place cheesecake in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.

Bake cake until top is dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake cool in closed oven 1 hour. Remove from water bath. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

For topping:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pineapple rings on large rimmed baking sheet. Boil remaining ingredients in small saucepan 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour syrup over pineapple. Roast pineapple 12 minutes. Turn rings over; roast until tender and syrup thickens, turning rings every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes longer. Cool pineapple on sheet. Cut into 1/3-inch cubes; transfer pineapple and syrup to bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)

Drain pineapple, reserving syrup. Cover top of cheesecake with some pineapple; stir remainder back into syrup. Serve cake, passing remaining pineapple in syrup separately.

Makes 12 servings