Pomegranate Cheesecake Shots

Photo: Jo Ann

Ingredients

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

Ingredients for Pomegranate Jam:

1 medium Braeburn apple

1 1/2 cups pure unsweetened pomegranate juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

12 fresh or frozen cranberries

Preparation

Directions:

Grate enough of the apple (including the peel) to yield 3/4 cup. In a medium saucepan, bring the grated apple, pomegranate juice, sugar and cranberries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered until the apple is softened and the mixture has thickened a little, about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly toward the end, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is reduce to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

With a rubber spatula, press the pulp through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl until you can't get any more juice out of the pulp. Scrape all the juice clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl and discard the pulp in the strainer.

That's all there is to this fancy little dessert.