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TO MAKE THE CRUST:
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This can be prepared one week in advance and refrigerated.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Place the matzah cake meal, potato starch, brown sugar and cinnamon in food processor with metal blade.
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Pulse on and off until blended.
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Add margarine and process until ingredients are blended.
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Turn onto parchment paper.
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Press mixture together to form pea-sized lumps.
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Place the baking sheets on the middle and lower racks in oven.
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Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned, switching the position after 6 minutes.
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Let cool.
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Place the lumps in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
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Remove from processor, measure out 4 cups, and save remainder for another use.
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Place the ground cookies and brown sugar in processor and pulse to blend.
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Add melted butter and pulse until the dough starts to clump together.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Butter the sides and then press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and 3/4 of the way up sides of a 9- or 10-inch spring form pan.
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TO MAKE THE FILLING:.
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Place cream cheese and half-and-half in processor bowl, and process until smooth.
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Add sugar and process until blended.
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Add eggs and egg yolks and pulse together until blended.
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Pour mixture into crust.
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Place on middle shelf of preheated 350-degree oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until top looks dull.
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The center of the cake should not shake when you move the pan.
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Remove from oven.
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Punch some holes in a piece of aluminum foil to let steam escape and cover top of cake.
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Let cool to room temperature.
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Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days ahead.
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Make the topping and refrigerate until cold.
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Spoon on topping before serving.
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TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
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Place cherries in colander over a bowl and let them thaw.
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Place juice in small saucepan, bring to boil and cook until reduced by half.
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Remove from heat and add sugar, wine, cinnamon and orange juice.
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Stir until sugar dissolves.
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Pour sauce over the cherries and refrigerate overnight or up to two weeks.
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Place colander over a bowl and put cherries in colander.
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Put the potato starch in a small cup.
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Stir 1/4 cup of cherry marinade gradually into the potato starch.
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Place remainder of marinade in pot and bring to boil.
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Add potato starch and cherries.
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Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened.
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Allow to cool thoroughly.
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Spoon over cheesecake.
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*TO MAKE VANILLA SUGAR:.
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Scrape the seeds out of vanilla beans and place both seeds and beans into 1 pound of sugar.
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Let the sugar absorb the flavor for a couple of days, and then use in recipes in place of regular sugar.
