Cranberry Cheesecake Spread
I wanted to have a cheese based appetizer at our holiday party last weekend. Since I can’t eat brie, and I wanted to try something new, I went with this Cranberry Cheesecake Spread. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from it. Even after I baked it, I wasn’t sure if it would go over well. I was worried it would be too sweet and dessert-like.
But let me tell you, this Cranberry Cheesecake Spread was the surprise hit of the evening. Everyone really enjoyed it and the plate was scraped clean early in the evening. The cheesecake itself had a beautifully smooth texture and the cranberry sauce on top provided a subtle scent of vanilla bean. The toasted pecans added a touch of texture to the whole experience.
I can definitely see myself making this again for get togethers because it came together in a snap. I made the cheesecake, cranberry sauce, and toasted the pecans a week in advance. Once the cheesecake was cool, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and foil and popped it into the freezer. I moved it to the fridge the morning of the party for it to defrost. The cranberry sauce and pecans sat in the fridge all week as well.
One Year Ago: Gingerbread Caramels and Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Three Years Ago: Butter Ball Cookies
Cranberry Cheesecake Spread
Ingredients:
For the Bourbon Vanilla Cranberry Relish
3 cups cranberries
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup bourbon
1 vanilla bean
2 jalapenos, whole or finely chopped
For the Cheesecake
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs
8 oz package cream cheese
5 oz Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
For Garnish
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
Directions:
For the Bourbon Vanilla Cranberry Relish
Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. While stirring, bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until most of the cranberrries have burst.
Remove from heat to cool. If you left the jalapeno pepper whole, remove it now and discard. Retrieve the vanilla bean from the sauce and set aside. When the vanilla bean is cool enough to handle comfortably, split it in half and scrape the seeds into the sauce. Stir until the vanilla seeds are distributed throughout the sauce. Discard the remaining hull.
For the Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Use 1 Tablespoon butter to generously grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch spring form pan. Add the graham cracker crumbs, tilting and tapping until the crumbs thoroughly cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the yogurt and egg, beating until well combined. Add the brown sugar and vanilla. Continue mixing until smooth.
Pour filling mixture into the prepared pan.
Randomly drop 1/3 cup of the cranberry sauce on top of the cheesecake batter with a tablespoon. Tap the pan on the counter top to settle the batter. Insert a butter knife straight down into the batter, not quite touching the bottom of the pan, and drag it back and forth at 1 to 2 inch intervals, front to back then side to side. Repeat as necessary to achieve a marbled effect in the batter.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until done.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Loosely cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, several hours or overnight.
To Assemble
To serve, top cheesecake with remaining cranberry relish and toasted pecans. Set on a platter with an assortment of crackers.
Recipe from My Own Sweet Thyme
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Wow, these look great! Kudos for your success at another baking first!
Your cheesecake pops looked clean-cut. Perfect cubes and they really look good in cubes! Nicely coated!! Unlike mine, lol.
The squares look great.
bakingdelights.com
Mine had footprints.. and finger prints from the pint sized assistant!
Wow, your shapes are so clean and perfect. Very nice job!
Everything looks so perfect. Great job
Well done in getting them dairy-free. I don’t have access to Tofutti in the UK and have had to go for the whole-dairy version, which I have to take a lactaid just to look at. Yours are lov-er-ly looking.
Perfect geometrics! Nice job–and glad you enjoyed them with the extra, dairy-free challenges.
I love how perfectly cut those are – well done!
My first batch of pops I coated by microwaving the chocolate, I think I am going to try it over the water like you did, to try to get a more consistent coating this time – they’re just in the freezer now…
These turned out beautifully..they are such clean lines! Very nice!
Carrie
your pops look so perfect! i wish my cheesecake had been that firm! congrats on adapting the recipe to suit your needs 🙂
Aw, bummer about the lactose intolerance (I too have lactose issues normally). I’m so glad you could figure a way around it and isn’t the new DB site awesome?! 🙂 Your pops turned out beautifully! Great job.
Wow! Did you cut your squares with a knife or dental floss? They are really pretty and precise looking! I’m glad the soymilk/margarine substitute worked for you.
Awesome. I love your squares!
I really love the square pops, they are so elegant. Thanks for the tips on dairy-free pops!
Maggie, I used a knife to cut my shapes.
Great job! I did squares too.
Congratulations on your lactose-free pops. I love their cute little square shape!
Your pops are adorable! I was so happy to see a dairy free version. My little nephews are on a dairy free diet. This is a perfect treat for them. Thanks!
Great looking pops and a nice adapation of the recipe.
Ooo I love the squares and triangles. Very cute. Congratulations on completing the challenge and being able to adapt it to something you can enjoy!
I love the square pops! I’m also lactose intolerant, but I admit to loving dairy too much to give it up. Lactaid is my friend!
Your squares are absolutely perfect!! Great job on this challenge – especially with adapting it so that you could enjoy it!
Love your geometric cheesecake pop shapes. I wish my cheesecake had been firm enough to try that approach. I may try tofutti next time…
Gorgeous cube pops! They remind me of those chocolate See’s suckers 🙂
woot!! Cute little square pops 😉 they look wonderful, and so perfect..soo very perfect lol
Your pops look wonderful!
Wow! Your pops look awesome. Does it taste like real cheesecake with your toffuti substitute.
perfect squares 🙂 I love them !
Great job ! congrats !
i know this post is old but i was wondering if you could share the orginal recipe that isnt dairy free? my email is vertigoxcured@gmail.com
They look and sound great! I will have to try these out.
Hi- just wanted to tell you I’ve been making these every year since you posted this. I never print the recipe and every fall I have to google it to find this specific one- we all love it! My kids (13, 11 and 5) ask for these the first time we say the word pumpkin in August. So thank you!