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Cranberry Sunset Frozen Cheesecake and Nut Pie Crust
Nut Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups ground pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup granular Splenda (*** See note.)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Stir together the ground pecans, cinnamon, and granular Splenda. Pour in the melted butter and toss the ingredients to combine them thoroughly.
Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or springform pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet and position on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Watch it closely, because nut crusts tend to burn easily, and taste burnt even when they are not black!
Take the crust out of the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack before filling.
***Note: I don't like a terribly sweet pie crust. I suggest you taste the ingredients before baking and adjust the sweetening to your own personal taste.
Cranberry Sunset Frozen Cheesecake
This recipe looks like a long one, but it's simply making a low carbohydrate cranberry relish and then using the relish to flavor a no-bake cheesecake.
1 Pecan Nut Pie Crust (See the recipe above.)
2 12-ounces packages fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar free DaVinci orange syrup (***See note.)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
2 teaspoons orange extract, divided
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup granular Splenda, divided (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon not/Sugar (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy cream Wash the cranberries and then put them in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pan. Add the sugar free DaVinci orange syrup and water and heat the berries over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to pop. Add the dried orange peel, 1 teaspoon of the orange extract, the lemon extract, and the cinnamon. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Continue cooking until all the berries are popped, adding a bit more water if it is necessary to keep the berries from scorching. Stir the berries with a wooden spoon, pressing some of the berries against the side of the pot to mash them.
When all the berries are popped, add 1/2 cup of the granular Splenda and the chopped pecans. Stir to combine them thoroughly into the cranberry mixture. Taste test to adjust the sweetening to your personal taste. If the mixture is too thin and watery, the not/Starch and continue cooking until the mixture thickens.
Remove the cranberry mixture from the heat, place in a large bowl, and set aside to cool completely.
When the cranberry mixture is completely cooled, whip the softened cream cheese in a small mixing bowl.
In a large, separate mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft (not stiff) peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the granular Splenda and the remaining 1 teaspoon of the orange extract. Continue whipping briefly to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
Gradually add the whipped cream cheese to the whipped cream mixture. Add the cooled cranberry mixture and continue beating until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Turn the cheesecake mixture into a large, ungreased springform pan. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with a spatula, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the top of the cheesecake so that no air can get to it.
Freeze until firm, a minimum of three hours.
To serve, remove the cheesecake from the freezer at least 1/2 hour before you want to serve it.
Serves 8 to 10. (Cut small slices. This is very rich!)
If you have extra cheesecake mixture that will not fit into your springform pan, simply freeze it in small plastic containers in individual portions.
***Note: If you don't have the DaVinci orange syrup, you may substitute additional water for the syrup, but you will need to add additional orange extract to make up for the flavor of the missing syrup.
*** Optional Garnish Idea: Before adding the cranberry mixture to the cheesecake mixture, take about 1/3 of the cranberry mixture and run it through a Foley's Food Grinder or a sieve to separate the liquid from the solids. Set the liquid portion aside.
Return the solids to the rest of the cranberry mixture and continue on with making the cheesecake as the recipe directs.
Heat the liquid you have pressed out of the cranberry mixture. If it is too thin, add a small amount of not/Stach to thicken it; if it is too thick, add a little water to thin it. Taste test to adjust the sweetener.
Place the syrup in a small plastic container and refrigerate until it you bring the cheesecake out of the freezer to thaw. At that time, take the syrup out of the refrigerator to warm up so that you can drizzle a small amount over each slice of cheesecake before it is served.
One mandarin orange segment looks very pretty if placed in the center of the drizzled sauce, too.
***Special Carb-Cutting Note: If you are determined not to go overboard at your holiday meal, just make the cranberry mixture for yourself and skip the whole cheesecake! Serve it warmed up with some artificially sweetened whipped cream on top.
Make Ahead Holiday Recipes, Part III: Holiday Desserts
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