Maple Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce

Every Christmas Ed's sister gives us a cheesecake. She has done this for years and I'm not sure if she has ever repeated a kind of cheesecake.

To say that we look forward to Aunt Bonnie's cheesecake is to put it mildly. You should see the children's eyes when Aunt Bonnie is spotted walking toward our door. Her cheesecakes are a work of art, always as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.

This year she made us a Maple Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce. The combination of flavors - the tart cranberries with the rich cheesecake was perfect. It isn't a cheap dessert, but I begged the recipe from her to share with you. Maybe you are looking for something special for Valentines.

Maple Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce

Crust:
2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
1 1/2 cup maple syrup
3  packs cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
3 T flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
For crust:
Mix all ingredients together and press into greased 9 inch spring-form pan. Bake at 375. Cool.

For filling:
Boil maple syrup until reduced to about 1 cup. Cool. Beat cream cheese and sugar. Add cooled maple syrup, sour cream, flour, vanilla, and salt and beat. Add eggs and beat lightly just until mixed. Pour into crust. Bake at 325 for 1 1/4 to 1/1/2 hours. Cool. Refrigerate overnight before removing spring-form pan.

For Sauce:
Combine all ingredients and cook ten minutes until berries pop. Cool. Serve on cheesecake.