From Scratch

A couple years ago I wrote a song called “From Scratch”. It’s a tribute to all the life lessons I’ve learned from the women in my family and has become a song in my arsenal that people really seem to respond to. Whether you’re moving to a new city, getting over someone, trying to make it in the music business or just trying to make a cheesecake the virtue of patience is an important one. 

In the spirit of that song I thought it would be fun to actually share my grandmother’s cheesecake recipe with you guys. I remember waiting every year to eat this at Christmas, and it has now become my staple dinner party dish here in Nashville. 

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake 

What You’ll Need: 

1 7 oz. Jar Macadamia nuts, divided 
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided 
1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs 
1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, melted 
3 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened 
2 Eggs 
1/4 Cup Sour Cream 
12 oz. white baking bars, melted 
 


 

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a blender or food processor finely chop 1/2 cup macadamia nuts with 2 Tablespoons of sugar. 

2. Place in a medium-sized bowl and add the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; mix well. Press into the bottom of a 10" springform pan. 

3. In a large bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, the remaining cup of sugar and the eggs until smooth.  Add the sour cream, then the melted white baking bars, mixing until well combined 

4. With a knife, coarsely chop the remaining macadamia nuts and stir into the cream cheese mixture.  Pour over the 

crust and bake for 45-50 minutes, until almost set in the center. I like to add a pan of water in the oven while cooking to help prevent cracking. 

5. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
 

If you end up trying this out, please share your pictures with me and tell me what you think! Also, if you want to hear the song inspired by this recipe you can check out this video from the Key West Songwriter's Festival! 

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