Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Inactive: 4 hours
Ease of preparation: easy

Recipe courtesy Dena Marino, Ajax Tavern, Aspen, Colorado

Ingredients:

For crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest
2 Tbs. water

For cheesecake filling:
2 lbs. softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange zest
6 oz. white chocolate, melted

For cranberry compote:
6 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbs. orange zest
1 cup orange segments

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
   
2. Using a food processor or by hand, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
   
3. Add butter pieces and mix until mixture resembles small pea size pieces.
   
4. Add yolk, vanilla and zest and mix until it forms a ball.
   
5. Add water to help dough come together. Form dough into a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
6. Press dough into the bottom of a springform pan and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and set aside.
   
7. For the filling, use a mixer with a paddle attachment. Cream the cheese with sugar on low speed.
   
8. Add eggs one at a time until smooth, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and orange zest. Slowly pour in melted white chocolate and mix until well combined.
   
9. Pour mixture into the springform pan.
   
10. Wrap aluminum foil around the base of pan's exterior and up the sides to protect from water bath. Place pan on sheet pan or pan with high sides and fill with 1/3 water.
    
11. Bake cheesecake for 40-45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool for 4 hours before serving.
    
12. To make the compote, place cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a saucepan and stir over low heat. Simmer until cranberries soften or pop. Cool mixture and add orange segments.
    
13. Serve cheesecake with compote and orange segments.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. Fine Living has not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.