Garden Herbed Cheesecake with Mandarin Orange Glaze

Yield: 10-12

Preparation Time: 15 min; Cook time: 2 hours 15 min

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake:

3 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1 8 ounce contain mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

3 eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks, room temperature

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, and oregano

1 teaspoon fresh mandarin juice and zest

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

boiling water

For the Glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

10 mandarin oranges, zested and juiced

2 springs fresh rosemary, for garnish

Directions:

For the Cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Prepare 9-inch spring-form pan by wrapping outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Using paddle attachment on an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, mascarpone, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Add flour and salt. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition; use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions. Gently mix in fresh herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper. Pour batter into prepared spring-form pan. Place pan into large roasting pan; add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of spring-form pan.

Bake cheesecake until set, but center moves very slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 2 hours. Turn off oven and crack oven door open to allow cheesecake to cool, about 1 hour. Remove cake from oven and from roasting pan; cool 1 more hour at room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

For the Glaze:

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in mandarin orange juice, stirring until any clumps of the cornstarch are dissolved. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to assess the thickness of the glaze. Remove from heat and let sit. Pour glaze over the chilled cheesecake. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Photo and food styling by Webstop

Please note that some ingredients and brands may not be available in every store.