Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

This month's cheesecake for the good folks at Benton County Mental Health is a Mandarin Orange Cheesecake. I made one a few years ago and decided it was time to make another. To improve on the original.

Remember to line the pan with strips of parchment paper to facilitate removal of the finished cake.

Starting with the crust, I used vanilla wafer crumbs instead of graham crackers. Why not? Just to be different. A deviant. Melted butter is worked into the crumbs and then this is pressed into the bottom of a 9-inch cheesecake pan. Pop it into the freezer while the batter is made.

The batter consists of cream cheese, butter, and sugar, beaten at medium-high speed for a few minutes. Have I said lately how much I love my stand-up mixer? I really do! Eggs are added, one at a time. Then sour cream, vanilla and concentrated orange juice. After this has all been mixed well, a can of drained mandarin orange sections is folded in. The batter is poured over the frozen crust.

The cake bakes at 350° for 45-55 minutes. Just until it is starting to brown ever so slightly, and there is a little jiggle left in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Remove from the oven and leave the oven on. Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Now, while the cake cools, mix sour cream, orange juice and sugar. Pour this onto the center of the cake and spread evenly to the sides. I added some blanched slivered almonds. It goes back into the over for 5 minutes. Remove the finished cake from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly on a rack.

Of course, the topping as well as the almonds are optional. But one of the beautiful things about this and other toppings, aside from their flavor, is that they do a bang-up job of concealing any flaws, such as cracks, that may appear on the surface of the cheesecake.

Bon appétit!