Last week, we hosted our Winter Local Roots Evening Dining in Eagle Tavern. A sold-out crowd indulged in some of the best of Michigan’s winter foods, including one sweet finale – maple cheesecake, featuring maple syrup from Blanchard, Michigan’s Doodles Sugar Bush.

Here’s the recipe from our executive chef, Nick Seccia – give it a try at home!

Maple Cheesecake

Makes 1 – 9×2 inch cheesecake

Ingredients

Graham cracker crumbs – 3 cups

Unsalted butter – 1 stick

Granulated sugar – 1 tablespoon

Fresh cream cheese – 1 1/2lbs

Brown sugar – 1/4 cup

Cornstarch – 1 Tablespoon

Vanilla bean – ½ each

Eggs (whole) –  2

Egg yolks – 4

Michigan A grade maple syrup – 1/2 cup

Sour cream – 1/3 cup

1. Pre heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Melt butter and combine with crumbs and granulated sugar.
3. Pack into a greased 9 inch spring form or cake pan.
4. Bake at 300 degrees F for ten minutes and allow to cool.
5. Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and cornstarch and mix on low speed until fully creamed and smooth.
6. Split and scrape the vanilla bean to remove the seeds; add to the mixture.
7. Add eggs and yolks one at a time and mix until fully combined.
8. Add maple syrup and sour cream and mix until combined.
9. Pour batter into the prepared crust.
10. Bake the cake in a water bath* at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes or until set.
11. Allow the cake to cool in the water bath for one hour, then refrigerate overnight.

* A water bath would be to bake the cake in a pan larger than the cake or spring form pan, with water about halfway up the pan; if using a spring form pan, line the outside of the pan with a double layer of foil all the way up the sides to prevent water from seeping inside the pan.