Dark Sweet Cherry Cheesecake

Chef's notes

This luscious cheesecake is a version of Pineapple Cheesecake with Pecan Praline, substituting pineapple with sweet pitted cherries.

It’s made in a larger 10-inch spring form pan and the proportion of cherries to its cream cheese filling is increased.

Animal cracker crust option is used, volume adjusted for the larger pan. When preparing cherries for pie,

Although I usually add fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and butter. Because of the richness of the cheesecake filling and cookie crust, added ingredients aren’t needed. Keep it simple.

Finished cheesecake is also topped with pecan praline and is served a scoop of lightly thickened cherry sauce made with remaining frozen cherries. Delicious.

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Ingredients

Crust

3 cups of animal cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick

Cherry layer

1 2-lb/8-oz. bag of Dark Sweet Cherries pitted, divided 1 ½ lb. and 1 lb. for sauce
1/3rd to 1/2 cup sugar
1 ½ to 2 tablespoon cornstarch

Filling

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese
1 scant cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole milk

Praline

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Cherry Sauce

Remaining pound frozen cherries
2-3 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
Cherry liquor, optional

Instructions

Pulsate animal crackers in a food processor creating 3 cups of crumbs. Slice butter into pats and process with crumbs. Press crumbs onto the bottom and at least half way up the sides of a 10-inch diameter spring form pan. Bake at 325º until just set, about 10 minutes. When cooled, double wrap to seal the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil.
Defrost 1 ½ pounds of cherries. Pour juices into a large pot. Over low heat whisk to dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons of corn starch in juices. When it begins to thicken, fold in cherries and 1/3rd cup of the sugar. Cherries will release additional juices. Stir until liquid thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk with more corn starch if needed. Adjust for sweetness with additional sugar. Spread onto set cookie crust.
Preheat oven to 400º degrees. Separately, boil water for bath.
For filling, blend cream cheese with sugar and salt in a food processor or with a hand mixer. Blend with eggs one at a time followed by milk and vanilla. When well combined, gently ladle filling over cherries.
Place wrapped spring-form pan into a roasting pan. Place in the oven. Add boiling water to the roasting pan to about 1 ½ inch high up the side of the aluminum wrapped springform pan. After 10 minutes, lower to 325º. Bake until the edges fluff and the center lightly set, about 60 minutes. Once cooled, tent with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least five hours or overnight.
For praline, set oven at 325º. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar until melted. When the mixture begins to boil, let it bubble without stirring for about a minute. Coat pecans in the pot and place on a cookie heat covered with foil. Mixture will begin boil in about 6 minutes, boiling throughout within 8 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
At least a half hour before serving, remove cheesecake from pan to serving platter. Generously top cheesecake with praline broken into pieces.
Whisk a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch to remaining defrosted cherry juice in a pot over low heat. Stir in cherries and sugar to taste. Option, add cherry liquor also to taste. Stir in additional cornstarch if needed to create a lightly thickened sauce.
To serve, plate slices of cheesecake with scoops of cherry sauce alongside. See pictures above.

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Dark Sweet Cherry Cheesecake