Montrachet Cheesecake with Winter Fruit Compote

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the crest and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. When the pan is cool enough to handle, brush the sides with melted butter. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the goal cheese and cream cheese until very smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix. Two at a time, add the eggs, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Prepare a water bath: Place the springform pan on a doublelayer sheet of aluminum foil, with at least 3 inches of foil all around the pan. Fold the aluminum foil up around the sides of the pan. Fill a roasting pall large enough to hold the cake pan with hot water to a depth of about 1 inch. Then lift the foilwrapped cake into the roasting pan, keeping the foil turned up so that it prevents wafer from overflowing or seeping into the cake. Be careful not to make any holes in the foil as you do this! Bake about 1 hour, until the top of the cake is golden and dry to the touch, though still a bit soft in the center. It should "shimmy" a bit when you shake the pan; it will firm up more as it cools. Lift the foil up to remove the cake from the water bath, remove the foil, and let cool 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with compote.

COMPOTE:

1. Make the compote: combine 'all of the ingredients in a mediumsize saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir, and reduce the heat so that the mixture is barely simmering. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn (fit the heat, cover, and set aside to soften and infuse. I1' not using within a few hours, refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, remove the walls of the pan and, if desired, reheat the compote. Serve in wedges, with compote spooned around the sides.