Orange Cheesecake with Pomegranate Glaze

Sometimes when I've received an order for a dessert, and it looks super delicious, it's really hard to part with it. Such is the case with this cheesecake. The cheesecake itself was flawless, no cracks, baked high and gorgeous. Then after I added the pomegranate glaze and piped whipped cream, well let's just say it took a lot of will power not to cut into this beauty. The person that ordered this is going to be the star at her Thanksgiving get-together.

Ingredients for Crust:
2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (made from about 9 ounces cookies, finely ground in processor)
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine cookie crumbs and brown sugar in medium bowl; add melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 & 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until set and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack. Maintain oven temperature.Wrap 4 layers of heavy-duty foil tightly around outside of pan with crust to make pan waterproof.

Ingredients for Filling:
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, room temperature

Combine orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange peel in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Chill until cool.Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until smooth. Mix in sour cream, flour, and salt. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in cooled orange juice mixture. Pour filling into crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.Bake cake until just set in center, about 1 hour and 35 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil. Place cake directly in refrigerator and chill overnight.

Ingredients for Pomegranate Jam:
1 medium Braeburn apple
1 & 1/2 cups pure unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
12 fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:
1. Grate enough of the apple (including the peel) to yield 3/4 cup. In a medium saucepan, bring the grated apple, pomegranate juice, sugar and cranberries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered until the apple is softened and the mixture has thickened a little, about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly toward the end, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is reduce to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

2. With a rubber spatula, press the pulp through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl until you can't get any more juice out of the pulp. Scrape all the juice clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl and discard the pulp in the strainer. When cool, spread onto cool cheesecake.

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Pour heavy cream in a large bowl. Whip until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar. Whip until you have stiff peaks. Pipe onto cheesecake.