Peach Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• CRUST:
• 2 cups cinnamon graham crackers crumbs (about 14 whole crackers)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, melted
• CHEESECAKE:
• 1 cup prosecco or cranberry-peach juice
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh peaches, about 1 large peach (peeled and pitted)*
• 3 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 cups sliced peaches (about 2 large peaches), peeled and pitted*

Instructions:

1. Bring prosecco or juice to a boil in a small saucepan, and boil gently until it's reduced to about 1/4 cup, approximately 8 minutes.

2. *To easily peel peaches, bring a pot of water to a boil, score ripe peaches with an "X" on the bottom and gently drop into boiling water. Boil for 1 minutes, then immediately gently drop into ice water to stop the cooking process. Let sit in the cold water for a couple minutes, then the skins should slip right off.

3. PREP: Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare a 9-inch cheesecake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the sides of the pan. Line the outside of the cheesecake with 3 layers of foil. Set aside.

4. CRUST: In a medium bowl mix together the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of pan; set aside.

5. Arrange sliced peaches over bottom.

6. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth.

7. Beat in sweetened condensed milk, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and reduced prosecco or juice.

8. Add eggs and egg yolks and beat on low speed just until combined.

9. Pour mixture over peaches in pan. Place pan in a large baking pan with sides at least 2-inches high. Add boiling water around cheesecake in larger pan to at least 1-inch high, creating a water bath for the cheesecake to cook in. Place on middle rack in preheated oven and bake for 75-90 minutes, or until center is almost set, but slightly jiggly. Crack oven door open and leave cheesecake in oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a butter knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

10. At serving time, remove from pan and arrange additional peach slices in spiral pattern over the top of cheesecake. Cut into 12-16 slices.