Baked Eggnog Cheesecake—Prototype 19:
 
This version gets updated, primarily with the crust, based on refinements done to other cheesecake flavors earlier in 2013.
 
2-to-1 Blend of Yogurt Cheese and Cottage Cheese:
Prepare ahead of time 16 ounces of yogurt cheese, derived from one 32-ounce container of nonfat yogurt. If the resulting yogurt cheese falls below 16 ounces, add back enough of the whey (that was strained out from the yogurt) to make up the difference. To this yogurt cheese combine 8 ounces (1 cup) of whipped, lowfat cottage cheese.

Crust:
1 oz. melted, white chocolate
1/2 cup (4 oz.) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz. All-Bran, ground up

Pour this crust mixture into pan (9 to 9 1/2 inches) and pre-bake without tub at 300 degrees for 5 minutes, then cool enough to comfortably touch at least the pan's upper sidewall.

Batter:
2 tablespoons butter, softened or melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (20 oz.) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
2 cups light eggnog
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/8 cup arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs

Bake, with tub, for about 90 minutes at 300 degrees. Next, turn oven off, leaving cheesecake in it (still in tub as well), with oven's door slightly ajar, for another 45 minutes. Afterwards, remove cheesecake from oven and tub, and let this cool off (cheesecake still in pan) for about 90 minutes. Then remove from pan and refrigerate. Note: See comments below for more information in regard to cooking and cooling times.

Eggnog Cheesecake—Prototype 19 (made with Oakhurst eggnog)

I made this one for Lesa's birthday in late August 2013, using Oakhurst eggnog, which had frozen well from the previous Christmas season—and that eggnog still tasted great—and so did the cheesecake itself! I got plenty of nice compliments from a number of people at the Italian Community Center, where I presented this treat to Lesa.

In December 2013 I went on to make Prototype 20, which itself featured more arrowroot—but resulted in what I felt to be too "rubbery" of a texture. So in light of my quest for yet more firmness, but hopefully without rubber concerns, I remade Prototype 19 (with its 3/8 cup of arrowroot) shortly afterward. But this time around, I boosted the oven baking time (still at 300 degrees) to 120 minutes, the in-oven cooldown time to 60 minutes, and the out-of-oven cooldown time to 120 minutes. That's 45 additional minutes (30 of them in the oven) altogether. And I was considerably more satisfied with the resulting texture.
 

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