Drunk Cheesecake Recipe (By Brilynn) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

CRUST
1 cup graham wafer crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
FILLING
1.5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juice of
1 lemon, zest of
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
PORT SAUCE
1 cup ruby port
1 cup sugar
1 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 clementine, zest of
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preparation

CHEESECAKE:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Combine graham wafer crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl.
Stir well and press into a 9\" springform pan that has been lined on the bottom with parchment paper and greased.
Bake in preheated oven until firm.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and salt, beat just until smooth. Do not over beat the mixture - you don't want to incorporate too much air in the cheesecake - it increases the chances for the cake to crack and fall.
Add the egg yolks three at a time beating after each addition.
Scrape down sides of bowl and add the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and zest, blend until just smooth, careful not to over beat the mixture.
Add cornstarch and mix until smooth.
In a clean stainless bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks hold.
Fold egg whites gently but quickly into cheese mixture, making sure no streaks of the egg whites remain. Again do not over mix the mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven for 70 minutes or until cake is just firm.
If it is NOT golden on top at this point, increase oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake another 10 minutes until cake is golden.
Turn oven off and open oven door, leaving cake in oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove and cool completely.
PORT SAUCE:
Bring Port, sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and clementine peel to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes.
Add cranberries and simmer mixture until cranberries begin to pop, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to medium bowl; refrigerate until cold.
Serve cheesecake draped in port sauce.