Swirled Port Cheesecake Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING BLUEBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the berries are softened. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into the blueberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth. Set aside. , For crust, in a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; stir in the butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour filling over crust. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons blueberry mixture; cut through batter with a knife to swirl., Return pan to baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with remaining blueberry sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

RASPBERRY-SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.
• Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside.
• Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.
• Drop raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl sauce into filling.
• Set cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes.
• Transfer cake pan to rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around edge of cake.

CHOCOLATE-SWIRLED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. To make the crust, combine graham crackers, melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well with a fork to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• To make the filling, melt chocolate in a double boiler or medium bowl over simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy. Fold in sugar and flour. Pour filling into prepared pan.
• Drizzle melted chocolate over surface of cheesecake. Using a toothpick swirl the chocolate into the filling, just until decorative swirls form (don't over-swirl, or you'll lose the effect).
• Bake 1 hour, or until center is set. Turn off oven, prop open the oven door (not all the way, just slightly), and allow the cake to cool 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

SWIRLED PORT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture firmly into bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan. Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until well blended, then add eggs, one at a time and mix until well blended. Carefully, with a fork, fold the Port wine into the filling batter, leaving the pretty streaks made with the fork to have a marbled effect after pouring it into the crust. Pour the mixture into crust and bake it for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. Take it out of the oven and carefully loosen the cake from rim of pan. Let it cool and then remove the rim of the pan. Topping Mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla, port and spread it evenly over the cheesecake. Carefully sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top and then lay the shaved chocolate in and around the nuts on the top. You can garnish by laying some beautiful chocolate leaves accented with whole toasted almonds in the center of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Special Hint: If you really want an extravagant and outstanding dessert, make 2 cups of chocolate ganache (a chocolate cream) with 2 tablespoons of Port wine blended in, and spread it between the cheesecake and the sour cream topping, then garnish with shaved chocolate and toasted almonds.

PHILADELPHIA CHOCOLATE-VANILLA SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix cookie crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended.
• Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir chocolate into remaining batter; pour over crust. Top with spoonfuls of reserved batter.
• Swirl batters with knife. Bake 40 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours.