Bourbon Mascarpone Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
2/3 of a 14.4oz box of Graham Crackers
(basically 2 of the 3 packages in the box)
10 tbl Butter
Filling
3/4 cu Granulated Sugar
20 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
8 oz Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature
3 lg Eggs, resting at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 tbl Bourbon, like Maker’s Mark
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
Topping
8 oz Sour Cream
1 tsp Bourbon
1/4 cu Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Lemon Juice
9” Springform Pan
Parchment Paper (optional) to line the bottom and sides of the pan
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Finely grind graham crackers in a food processor and then transfer them to a bowl. Melt butter in a small pan or in the microwave and pour over graham crackers. Mix thoroughly and pour all but about 1/4 of cup into your springform pan. Press the graham crackers about halfway up the side and on the bottom of the pan as uniformly as possible. Bake the crust in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove and set on a wire rack to fully cool, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, with either a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream together the sugar, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. Mix thoroughly for about 5 minutes at medium high speed. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix. Add bourbon, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Mix for an additional 3 minutes. Pour mixture into your cooled springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes. The outside edges of the cheesecake will be stiff but the center will still be soft and jiggle a bit. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes. The cake will settle a bit.
Mix together sour cream, bourbon, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Once cheesecake has cooled, gently spoon the topping over the cake and spread it evenly. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake rest at room temperature four about 45 minutes. Then, place the cheesecake in your refrigerator for 4 hours or longer until it is fully set and chilled. Just before serving, crumble the remaining graham crackers and form a circular ring about half the diameter of the springform pan.