CRANBERRY AND BRANDY RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. Place on a baking sheet. , In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar and water. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until berries pop, about 12-15 minutes. Add lemon juice. Press cranberry mixture through a food mill into a small bowl; discard pulp and seeds. Set aside. , For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Spoon 1/4 cup topping over filling; cut through filling with a knife to swirl. Place springform pan in a larger pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. , Bake 55-65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Pour remaining topping over cheesecake. Refrigerate cheesecake overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan.

Steps:

• Bring the sugar and orange juice to the boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the cranberries and zest, if using, and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender but holding their shape. Frozen cranberries will take longer than fresh. Refridgerate until needed, it will thicken as it cools.
• Remove from the fridge an hour before serving, see the tips section for freezing information.