• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line a 13 x 9 cake pan with parchment paper or foil and set aside.

To make the kumquat compote:

• Place water, sugar, and diced kumquats in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until liquid has reduced and thickened some, and kumquats are softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To make the candied kumquat slices:

• With a small, sharp knife, cut off the end of each kumquat and cut into very thin (approx. 1/8”) slices. Use the knife to remove any seeds as you come across them.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced kumquats and use the back of a spoon to press down into the liquid so they are all covered. Return the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the kumquat slices to a bowl or jar. Return the pan with the syrup in it to the stove and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Keep at a simmer until the syrup is bubbly, thickened, and reduced to about ½ cup. This will take ~10 minutes. Carefully pour the syrup over the kumquat slices and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the crust:

• Place oat grahams in a food and pulse until they are fine crumbs processor (you may have to do a few at a time to be sure they grind up properly). Move to a large bowl and stir in sugar. Add melted butter and stir until combined and moistened. Spoon into the prepared cake pan and press firmly. You can use a measuring cup to help with this. Set aside.

To make the cheesecake filling:

• Add the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using a hand mixer.) Using the whisk attachment, beat until fluffy and smooth (about 3-5 minutes).
• Use a spatula to scoop mixture onto the crust, and gently smooth out. Be careful not to get any crumbs mixed in. Set aside.
• Drop kumquat compote, by small spoonfuls, across the top (spread it out.) Use a knife and drag it back and forth, end-to-end in both directions (horizontal and vertical) to spread the compote throughout the cheesecake filling.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
• Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Remove from pan using the overhanging edges of parchment paper to a cutting board, slice into squares, top with a few candied kumquat slices, and serve!