White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

Submitted by jen LUVS REVIEWS

Crust Ingredients

18 vanilla wafer cookies 1 c. almonds, toasted
4 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

4 oz. imported white chocolate, chopped 1 8oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
2/3 c. sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp grated lemon peel 2 large eggs
¾ c. fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed, drained

Topping Ingredients

1 8oz. container sour cream 3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract 2½ pint baskets raspberries
½ c. seedless raspberry jam

Crust Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place large piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. 
  2. Set 8″x2″ bottomless heart-shaped cake pan atop foil. (If unavailable, use 8″ spring form pan; omit foil.) 
  3. Wrap foil around outside & 1″ up sides of pan. Butter foil & pan. Finely grind cookies & almonds in processor. 
  4. Add butter & blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom & 2″ up sides of pan. 
  5. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. 
  6. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Filling Directions

  1. Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth, stirring often. Remove from over water. 
  2. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla & peel in large bowl until smooth. 
  3. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in white chocolate. 
  4. Spoon half of batter into crust. Top with ¾ c. berries. Spoon remaining batter over. 
  5. Bake until edges of cake are set but center 3″ still moves when cake is shaken, about 45 minutes. 
  6. Cool 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. 
  7. Using fingertips, press down gently on edges of cheesecake to flatten slightly.

Topping Directions

  1. Whisk sour cream, sugar & vanilla in bowl. Spoon over cake, spreading to edge of pan. 
  2. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack. 
  3. Run small knife around sides of cake. Cool completely. 
  4. Chill cake overnight. Fold down foil along sides of pan. 
  5. Lift cake pan off cheesecake. Transfer cheesecake to platter, discarding foil. 
  6. Cover cake with berries. 
  7. Bring jam to simmer in small saucepan, stirring often. 
  8. Gently brush jam over berries. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.)