Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 8–12
Crust
1¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling
3 8-ounce cream cheese blocks
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons blood orange juice
1 tablespoon blood orange zest, grated
1 tablespoon orange liqueur or 2 teaspoons orange or vanilla extract
Caramelized Orange Topping
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 large blood orange, thinly sliced (discarding ends and seeds)
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust
In a medium bowl, blend graham crackers, butter and sugar, and press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the bottom and outside of the pan with foil. Set aside.
Filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add orange juice, zest and extracts. Beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Place cheesecake pan in another larger pan and place in oven. Fill the larger pan halfway with hot water. Bake 60–70 minutes or until slightly firm in center. Turn off oven, leaving door ajar, and cool for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. Chill in fridge overnight or at least 8 hours. Remove sides of pan and apply topping of choice.
Caramelized Orange Topping
In a deep 10- or 12-inch skillet, over medium-high heat, add sugar, ¾ cup water and 2 teaspoons orange juice and stir until dissolved. Add orange slices and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering, keeping slices in a single layer, turning occasionally, until slightly candied and translucent, about 20 minutes. The liquid should be the consistency of a thin syrup. There should be about ½ cup of liquid in the pan. If not, add a little water into syrup. Allow syrup to cool.
Carefully lift slices out of syrup, reserving liquid, and blot dry with a paper towel. Arrange slices on cheesecake in desired pattern. Bring the syrup to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup is a deep golden brown, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in 3 tablespoons orange juice (mixture will bubble up). Cool and brush over oranges.
Chef’s tips
No blood oranges? If blood oranges are not available in your area, use Cara Cara oranges. Any type of oranges can be substituted, but the color will not be the same.
Working with sugar. Use extreme caution when working with hot melted sugar as it can burn very easily and traumatically! Read directions ahead of time, and have all recipe ingredients measured and readily available to incorporate into the recipe at the appropriate time. Working with melted sugar is not the time to have small children or animals around.
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Cooking with citrus—Let Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan show you how to add a little zing to your meals with the power of fruit.