Cherry Cheesecake with a Hazelnut Oil Crust

My little seven-year-old is a great graham cracker-pulverizer!

CRUST

2-1/2 C finely ground graham crackers

1/2 C yellow cornmeal

2 T raw sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted

1 T hazelnut oil

Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Crush crackers, cornmeal, sugar and cinnamon together. Add butter and hazelnut oil; blend until moist clumps form. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill crust while preparing filling.

FILLING

3 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 C raw sugar

4 large eggs

2 C sour cream

1 T pure vanilla extract

COMPOTE

2 C fresh or frozen cherries
2/3 C raw sugar

1/3 C tangerine juice

2 T grated lemon peel

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

4 t vanilla extract

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream and vanilla.

Transfer 1/3 of filling to prepared crust. Dollop 1/3 of cranberry puree atop filling. Repeat layering of filling and puree 2 more times. Using knife, swirl puree through filling, creating marbled design.  I tried to do a sort of artistic spatter instead.

Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake puffs around edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 1 hour, leaving oven door ajar.

Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Cover cake and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Remove pan sides to serve.  Drizzle slices with compote syrup.

Also shared on Sweet Tooth Friday.