Black Cherry Cheesecake

This is the first year at this house that we were able to get some cherries off of our cherry tree. AND to our pleasant surprise we figured out they were black cherries! The tricky thing was getting them off before the birds ate them all and before the black cherry aphids destroyed it.

But we did get 1,500 lady bugs to help us out with the aphid situation. They did a great job!

In the end we were able to get about 5 gallons of cherries. Which was turned into delicious cherry syrup (which we've tried on and in everything we can think of!) and was used for this amazing cheesecake recipe.

A very special thanks to my neighbor for letting me use her cherry pitter, which made for quick work at getting a gallon of those cherries pitted!

If you don't happen to have a cherry tree in your backyard or can't get your hands on some fresh cherries, you could always use cherry pie filling on top, or any other delicious fruit topping you prefer! Enjoy! :o)

Ingredients:

• For the crust:
• 12 whole graham cracker rectangles
• 5 Tbsp butter, melted
• For the filling:
• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• For the cherry topping:
• 1/2 cup cherry syrup (recipe below)
• about 2 cups cherries, pitted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat or spray a 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan with butter or oil. (Optional: wrap the bottom of the pan with two strips of foil, if planning on doing the water-bath method).
Make the crust: using your food processor, crush the graham crackers until they form fine crumbs. Slowly add melted butter until fully incorporated and graham cracker crumb resembles wet sand. Transfer to your prepared pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool.
Make the filling: beat cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down sides. Add sugar, corn starch and sour cream. Mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides after. Add eggs, lemon and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated. Pour over cooled crust.
If doing the water bath method (this will result in a prettier, less cracked cheesecake): find a roasting pan or casserole dish larger than the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake (with the foil wrapped around the edges) in the center and pour 1-2 cups of boiling water around the cheesecake in the roasting pan (the foil should help keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake while baking). Fill to about an inch or so that it's just below the foil.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Cheesecake is done when the edges are set and golden brown but the center is still a little jiggly.
Remove from oven and let cool (Optional: let cool in oven with oven turned off and door slightly opened).
Chill cheesecake for at least 8 hours (overnight preferred) before topping.

Cherry Syrup: (makes 1 cup of syrup)
3 cups cherries (1 pound) can leave pits in.
3/4 cup sugar
In a medium saucepan over medium heat mix the cherries and sugar with a rubber spatula. As it starts to warm up mash with a potato masher. Let simmer on low for about 15 minutes, mashing a few more times. Remove from heat and using a strainer, strain syrup into a bowl, pushing down with a spoon to get all the juices out. Discard pulp and store syrup in an airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

This is by far my favorite cheesecake ever! The cheesecake is super creamy and the caramel sauce that's drizzled on top, it's to die for.

• One 9 inch graham cracker crust:
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• For the Cheesecake:
• 2 pkgs (16oz) cream cheese
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• Salted Caramel Sauce:
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend the melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs. Press onto the bottom of a 9" pan. You can use a spring form pan if you want it to come out nicer. Bake for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool. Turn oven down to 325. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar, sour cream, whipping cream and maple syrup and beat until blended. Scrape down the sides and add your eggs. Scrape again and beat until there are no lumps. Pour the batter into your pan. If you are using a spring form pan cover the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Put your pan into a larger oven tray or pan that has sides at least 1 inch. Place pan and tray in oven and carefully pour boiling water onto the oven tray until the water reaches about half way up the pan. Bake for about 70 minutes or until set in the center. Remove from oven and leave in water bath for about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Chill in fridge for at least 8 hours, or better yet, overnight. 

To make the salted caramel: pour all of the sauce ingredients into a heavy 4 quart pot. Bring to a boil and then turn to low and let simmer for 18 minutes or until it has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Let cool before putting on your cheesecake.

Recipe adapted from:

http://bitterbaker.com/salted-caramel-cheesecake/