Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

Ingredients:

Base:
140g digestive biscuits
56g brown sugar
84g unsalted butter

Filling:
500g cream cheese
170g sugar
2g salt
140g eggs (±3 eggs)
14g egg  yolks (±1 egg yolk)
75g single cream
3ml vanilla extract

Topping:
284g pitted cherries
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp corn starch
2/3 cup water, tawny port or other sweet red wine
4 tsp water
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 330°F/165°C.

Base:
Line the base of a 20-23 cm springform tin with a baking paper ( Wrap the outside (bottom and sides) of the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil to prevent any leaking). Crush the Digestive biscuits finely, mix with sugar and melted butter. Press the biscuit mixture onto the base of the cake tin. Place into the fridge for 10 minutes.

Filling:
To prepare filling, beat cheese with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine sugar and salt, beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and single cream.  Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan.

Bake the cheesecake in a water bath for 1h and 15min. Bake until the filling is more or less set (it shouldn’t wobble too much, when you lightly shake the cake tin). Remove from the oven and cool for 6 hours.

Topping:
To prepare topping, combine port(or water), 1/2 cup sugar, cherries, and reserved vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy. Remove vanilla bean halves; discard. Combine juice, cornstarch, and 4 teaspoons water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. Serve over cheesecake.

Removing from pan:
When cheesecake is done, remove springform pan or cheesecake pan (if using) from “water bath” in oven. Carefully remove larger pan with water in it from oven. It will be very hot. Discard water when it has cooled. Remove aluminim foil from sides and bottom of pan after your cheescake has cooled completely in the refrigerator. When you are ready to release sides of springform pan, or remove cheesecake from a cheesecake pan with removable bottom (if using) and cheescake has cooled in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight; this is the best time to remove aluminum foil.

Cherry Muffins with Crumb Topping
(18 muffins)

Ingredients:

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Muffins:

1 – 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 – 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then pinch the mixture until it forms pea-size clumps.

Make the muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and canola oil and beat with a handheld electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat in the whole milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat at low speed until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cherries.

Spoon the batter into 18 of the cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of each one and bake for about 30 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.