Cherry Cheesecake - Picnic Piehole Pairing
Summer nights just got a whole lot yummier! Grab your friends and family and snag a couple packs of our fan favorite, Picnic Piehole and make this yummy cherry cheesecake for your next event or party!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook TIme: 2 hours
Cooling: 6 hours
Total time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Cheesecake Crust Ingredients:
6 oz graham crackers crushed
3 oz unsalted butter melted
3 oz granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
32 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
9 oz granulated sugar
2 oz sour cream room temperature
4 large eggs warmed to room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cherry Topping Ingredients:
32 oz cherries fresh or frozen, pitted
8 oz granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons clear jel or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 oz cool water for the clear jel
Instructions:
Making the graham cracker crust -
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Move the bottom oven rack to the lowest place in the oven. Place the second oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Grind the graham crackers in a food processor or roll them in a large ziplock bag with a rolling pin until they are finely crushed.
Combine together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until forms together.
Place parchment paper round int he bottom of a 9'“ springform pan to prevent sticking
Pour your graham cracker mixture on top of the parchment round and spread it evenly. Press down firmly with a flat measuring cup to compress the crust into the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes at 350 degrees and then let it cool. You should be able to smell the toasty crust near the end of the baking time.
Place the 9” cheesecake pan into a 10” cake pan. This is an alternative to placing the pan in a water bath. the added insulation of the cake pan will help the cheesecake to bake slowly and evenly and will help prevent cracking. Baking strips wrapped around the springform pan will achieve the same effect.
Making the cheesecake Filling -
Lower the oven to 335 degrees and place a sheet pan or roasting pan on the bottom rack and fill it 3/4 of the way with hot water. Your cheesecake will sit on the rack above the water.
Place your room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, or you can use an electric mixer. Beat the cream cheese on low until extra smooth and no longer lumpy.
Sprinkle in your granulated sugar while mixing on low until combined. Mixing the cream cheese and sugar until super smooth will make your cheesecake texture extra creamy.
Add in the room temperature sour cream and heavy whipping cream while mixing on low.
Pour in your room temperature eggs one at a time, on medium speed, letting each one combine before adding in the next.
Next, add the salt and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the cream cheese is incorporated.
Pour the cream cheese mixture into your cooled graham cracker crust.
Baking the cheesecake -
Bake the cheesecake at 335 degrees for about 60 minutes and do not open the oven door during baking time. The cheesecake should be set, but still slightly jiggly in the center and have an internal temperature of 150 degrees. It will continue to firm up as it sits and cools down.
Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake cool inside the oven for 60 more minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place into the fridge to cool for 6 hours or ideally overnight. Wait to cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap until it is fully cool, so it doesn’t condensate and drip moisture onto the top of the cheesecake.
Run a knive around the outside of the cheesecake to seperate it from the pan, or using a kitchen torch to lightly warm the outside and remove the springform pan.
Making the Cherry Topping -
Combine together the cherries, water, salt and sugar into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Combine together the clear jel, lemon juice, 2 oz water and lemon zest in a separate cup to make a slurry.
Add the clear jel mixture to the simmering cherries and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly until thickened.
Let the cherry filling cool before placing it on top of your cheesecake in an even layer.
5. Serve and enjoy with our Picnic Piehole brew!
