Cheesecake with Cranberry Glaze and Sugared Cranberries

Ingredients

  • 10 digestive biscuits (such as McVitie s®)
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 orange, zested
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • ½ cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
  • Crush biscuits into crumbs using a food processor. Stir crumbs, butter, confectioners sugar, and salt together to make the crust. Press into the bottom of the pan. Rinse food processor and set aside for the cranberry glaze.
  • Bake crust in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool while making the filling.
  • Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Spoon batter over the crust.
  • Bake until the filling is set but still soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  • While the cheesecake is cooling, combine 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to coat with syrup.
  • Refrigerate cheesecake and syrup-coated cranberries, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Drain the cranberries, then roll them in the sugar. Place the sugared cranberries on the prepared baking sheet and allow to dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • In the meantime, make the glaze. Combine cranberries, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer, crushing cranberries, until jammy, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to the food processor; add confectioners sugar, orange juice, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
  • Strain cranberry glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Pour over the cheesecake and smooth across the top with a small offset spatula. Garnish with sugared cranberries.