Ligonberry Cheesecake

Since IKEA came to Charlotte in 2009 I have become quite familiar with the ligonberry. I was quite surprised to find this recipe in a magazine so I gave it a try. Easy to make and super yummy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 14-oz jar of ligonberries (or can of whole cranberry sauce)

Directions
- Combine cracker crumbs, hazelnuts, and butter.
- Press into bottom of springform pan.
- Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
- For filling, beat cheese, sugar, cardamom, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in eggs.
- In a saucepan heat ligonberries or cranberries until melted or completely softened.
- Strain berries from syrup.
- Mix berries into cream cheese mixture.
- Refrigerate the syrup as a topping for the cheesecake before serving.
- Pour cheesecake mixture into crust.
- Bake 40-45 minutes or until a 2 1/2 inch area around the edge appears set when gently shaken.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edge to loosen crust from sides of pan.
- Cool 30 minutes more.
- Remove sides of the pan and cool completely.
- Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.
- Top servings of cheesecake with reserved ligonberry syrup.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I'm not one to go buy ingredients I wouldn't normally have/use. I did not use cardamom and I replaced the hazelnuts with more graham cracker crumbs since I am highly allergic.
- I sprinkled 2 tsps of cinnamon into the crust mixture for some added flavor.
- Baking time was perfect.
- I buy my ligonberries at IKEA.