blissful eats with tina jeffers: Greek yogurt cheesecake with pomegranate syrup

I love Thanksgiving and all the food that comes along with it.  Unfortunately my family has no desire to eat turkey and pumpkin pie so I have to adjust my expectations and come up with a menu that everyone wants to eat.  It doesn’t matter what we eat as long as we take the time to spend the day with family and loved ones creating memories that last. 

This year in the Jeffers household we will be consuming fried chicken and this delicious cheesecake made with Greek yogurt.  I know it’s weird but it also perfectly represents the oddness that is my family.  The best part of this dessert is that you don’t have to worry about taking up precious oven time and you can make it a few days in advance and have it ready to go.  The recipe comes from Bon Appetit and the only change I made to it was to reduce the sugar a little bit and I pre-baked the graham cracker crust.  The first time I tried it I didn’t like the texture of the crust without baking it and I found it overly sweet.  The yogurt gives it a lovely tang and creamy texture. 

Greek yogurt cheesecake with pomegranate syrup

From Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

            Nonstick vegetable oil spray

            1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs t

            1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

            2 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:

            2 teaspoons powdered gelatin

            1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

            1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

            3/4 cup sugar

            2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

            1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the pomegranate syrup:

            2 cups flash-pasteurized pomegranate juice

            1/4 cup sugar

            2 tablespoons light corn syrup

            Pomegranate seeds

METHOD:

For the crust:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.                

Coat bottom and sides of pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with a parchment-paper round. Using your fingertips, mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl until mixture holds together when pinched tightly. Pack onto bottom of pan in an even layer (using the bottom of a flat measuring cup works well). Bake crust until just golden, about 7-8 minutes.  Set aside and let cool completely before you add the filling.

For the filling:

Place gelatin and 1 1/2 tablespoon cold water in a heatproof bowl. Let stand until softened, 5-10 minutes.

Pulse cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until completely smooth.

Pour water to a depth of 1/2-inch into a small skillet over medium heat. Place bowl with gelatin in skillet; stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from skillet.

With processor running, drizzle gelatin into cream cheese mixture; mix until well blended. Pour into prepared crust. Tap pan firmly on the counter to break up any big air bubbles. Smooth top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Cheesecake can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

For the pomegranate syrup:

Bring first 3 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer, whisking occasionally, until syrup is thickened, shiny, and measures a generous 1/2 cup, 35-40 minutes. Let cool.  Cover; chill. Rewarm slightly before serving.

Cut cheesecake into slices, dipping knife into a large glass of warm water and wiping dry between slices, and place on plates. Drizzle pomegranate syrup over and scatter pomegranate seeds around.