CHERRY JUBILEE CHEESECAKE

Cheesecakes, my weakness.  I keep promising myself to lose weight but can't give up eating these.  What the hell, will walk a little extra :)

I also have a passion for buying books and storing them.  Rummaging through a cupboard I found THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE sitting with my cookbooks.  I immediately knew that I had to make one of these.  Last year I had made the Banana Split Cheesecake and it was yumm.

Note - please collect all the ingredients in advance as they should be at room temp to ensure a good cheesecake.  

CHERRY JUBILEE CHEESECAKE

adapted from The Cheesecake Bible

EQUIPMENT
8" loose bottom tin
Hand Whisk
Spatulas
Weighing scale

CRUST
15 Graham Cracker Biscuits
4-5 tbsp butter

FILLING
1 tin condensed milk
1 pack cream cheese - I used philadelphia
Juice of 2 lemons
4 eggs
1 tbsp cherry liqueur

The Liqueur I found in the bar

TOPPING
1 cup fresh cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

1. Put biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush roughly.  Melt the butter and mix into the biscuits.  The mixture should clump together.
2. Press this mixture into the base of the loose bottom tin and keep in the freezer to set.
3. Make the topping by combining the cherries, water and sugar and bringing to a boil.  Cook this cherries are soft and water has thickened.  Keep aside to cool
4. For the filling beat the cream cheese till smooth and creamy.  Add in the condensed milk and lemon juice and mix well
5. Mix in eggs one at a time - do not overbeat.
6. Fold in the cherry liquor [optional] and some of the topping mix.
7. Pour this over the frozen base and bake at 160C for 30 min.  The Centre should jiggle when done.  Leave to come to room temp for at least 2 hours.  The cheesecake will continue to cook.  
8. Once cooled wrap in cling film and keep in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours for the flavours to mature.
9. When ready to serve top with some of the cherry jam.