Pomegranate Cheesecake and a Willow House Giveaway

This post is going to be one sweet deal after another. Not only are you getting the recipe for one of the best cheesecakes ever to have passed my lips....but you also have a chance at a fantastic giveaway!

How many of you have heard of Willow House? Come on....raise up those hands.....1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 15....niiiiice. So then you already know about their products and how classy they are. I mean, really there are some beautiful collections. If you're here, it's because you're into food. If my guess is right, you're probably into what you serve your food in, on and around. Which is what Willow House is all about. Beautiful dining, entertaining and accent pieces as well as food! Talk about perfect for us food crazed individuals.

What does this have to do with you and me? Well, a few years back I met a gal named Michele over in BakeSpace.com. What a sweetheart she is. She made me feel welcome, she introduced me to FaceBook and she aided in my decision to start a blog. Oh, and she's also the one who helped me figure out what to do with my centerpiece for my Pom Wonderful Dinner Party. Well, not long ago, Michele went on a new venture and joined the Willow House family. She loves it! She loves the company, she loves the product and being the little social butterfly that she is....I'm sure she's loving that aspect of it too. Which all happens to tie in beautifully with her food blog...My Italian Grandmother. 

Michele bbm'd me the other day and asked if I'd be interested in doing a give away. Well, YA!! I mean, food, entertaining, and a little decorating....thats right up our alley! It's almost as if this company was tailor made for people like us. With that said, Michele is offering one lucky reader their choice of any item in the Willow House catalog, $30.00 or less for FREE!

Here's the deets....

US Residents only
Contest ends 11:59 p.m. pacific standard time, Sunday, November 29, 2010
Winner will be announced Tuesday, November 30th

And what you need to do to win......

1. Go to Michele's Willow House page, browse the catalog and leave a comment here telling me which item ($30.00 or less) you'd like to own.

2. Follow Michele's Willow House Facebook Fan page. This way you'll get to enjoy her entertaining and decorating tips and special company events and sales.

3. Don't forget to leave a way for me to contact you in case you win! email address or something...or email me separately with your address if you don't want to leave it here. Of course if your name links to a way to contact you, then it's all good :)

I know it's the beginning of the holidays so I won't make you jump through anymore hoops.

Here's a little something to wet your whistle though....

Talk about some beautiful stuff..right?!

BONUS!!! Anyone who decides to place an order during the month of November and puts Peaceful Cooking as the host during checkout will also be entered into a drawing for another free gift from Michele!

Ok....now for some dessert! Who's ready for Cheesecake?!

Cheesecake is the one dessert that I remember as a favorite since childhood. I was first introduced to it by my aunt who makes an incredible cheesecake (I still need to get her recipe) and of course I fell in love with the crust. Sure, I liked cookies and ice cream....but cheesecake is my earliest memory of experiencing food lust. 

Pomegranate Cheesecake
Printable Version

Preheat your oven to 325'. Place a baking dish on the rack below where you plan on baking your cake.

Crust
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 - 5 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons sugar

Combine ingredients

 
Pat on the bottom of a springform pan and up the sides a little.

I like to use the bottom of a glass to get up along the edges....works wonderfully.

Place in the refrigerator while mixing the filling together.

Filling
3 - 8oz packs of cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into your graham cracker crust.

Place in the middle rack in your oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into a dish on a rack below your cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour, turning the cake 180' halfway through. If needed, add another cup of hot water to the baking dish. This helps prevent big cracks by providing a humid atmosphere within your oven.

Sour Cream Topping (btw...this cheesecake as 2....yes TWO toppings)
16 oz sour cream
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combing and pour on top of the cheesecake.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.


Pomegranate topping
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (more to garnish if desired)

Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of pomegranate juice.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring the remaining 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, orange liqueur and sugar to a boil Stir in the cornstarch mixture and heat, stirring constantly until everything thickens. Stir in the pomegranate arils and orange zest. Pour everything into a bowl and set the bowl inside a larger bowl that contains ice water.

Stir to cool. Spread over the top of your chilled cheesecake. Chill an additional 2 hours or more.

I sure hope you give this a try. Especially if you're a cheesecake lover. I imagine that you could do the same topping with cranberries for the holidays. But you can't beat pomegranates.

This is my entry this week into the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop. I so enjoy participating in this hop...I think because it's all about what I do anyway....and if you're interested in more of the same...please treat yourself with a visit to other recipes that speak from the hearth to the soul.