ROASTED SWEET POTATO CHEESCAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM

ROASTED SWEET POTATO CHEESCAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM image

Yield 12-16 people

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 dark orange flesh sweet potatoes (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs)
1 tablespoon melted butter
Pecan Crust(recipe follows)
2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, regular or light, at room temp.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Maple Cream (recipe follows)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Peel sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a 9x13 inch baking pan and brush with melted butter. Bake until potatoes are soft when pressed, 45 to 55 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, prepare crust. Bake in same oven with ptatoes until lightly browned all over, 10 to 12 minutes. 3. Scrape any charred spots off potatoes, then cut potatoes into chunks. Whirl in a food processor or mash in a bowl with lemon juice until smooth. Reserve one cup; save any extra for another use. 4. Reduce oven temperature to 325. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in granulated and brown sugars, scraping down sides of bowl occasinally, until well blended and smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add reserved sweet potato mixture, the whipping cream, sour cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Mix on low speed until well blended. 5. Wrap bottom of cheesecake pan with heavy duty foil, pressing it up the sides. Pour batter over crust. Put cheesecake pan in a 12 by 15 inch roasting pan at least 2 inches deep. Set pans in oven and pur enough boilin water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cheescake pan. 6. Bake until cake barely jiggles in the center when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove pans from oven. Lift cheese cake pan from roasting pan and let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour, then chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours, or up to 3 days (cover once cold). 7. Up to 6 hours before serving, cut around inside of pan to release cake, remove rim. With a bastry bag, pipe dollops of maple cream onto cake. Or serve maple cream separately, to spoon on each wedge. Notes: You can make this cheesecake up to 3 days ahead. Makes 12 to 16 servings.