Recipe - White Chocolate And Raspberry Cheesecake

CRUST
18 Vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup Almonds; toasted
4 One half tablespoon Unsalted butter; melted

FILLING
4 ounce Imported white chocolate;
(such as Lindt),
; chopped
2 pack Cream cheese; room
temperature
; (8ounce)
2/3 cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Three fourths teaspoon Grated lemon peel
2 lg Eggs
Three fourths cup Fresh raspberries or frozen
unsweetened; thawed,
drained

TOPPING
1 Container sour cream;
(8ounce)
3 tablespoon Sugar
One half teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 Baskets raspberries or one
1pint basket; (1/2pint)
; strawberries
One half cup Seedless raspberry jam

For crust:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place large piece of foil on heavy large baking
sheet. Set 8x2inch bottomless heartshaped cake pan atop foil. (If
unavailable, use 8inch springform pan; omit foil.) Wrap foil around
outside and 1 inch up sides of pan. Butter foil and pan. Finely grind
cookies and almonds in processor. Add butter and blend until mixture forms
very moist crumbs. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto
bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

For Filling:

Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until
smooth, stirring often. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat
cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and peel in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs
1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in white chocolate.

Spoon half of batter into crust. Top with Three fourths cup berries. Spoon remaining
batter over. Bake until edges of cake are set but center 3 inches still
moves when cake is shaken, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Maintain oven
temperature. Using fingertips, press down gently on edges of cheesecake to
flatten slightly.

For topping:

Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Spoon over cake, spreading to
edge of pan. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack. Run small knife
around sides of cake. Cool completely. Chill cake overnight.

Fold down foil along sides of pan. Lift cake pan off cheesecake. Transfer
cheesecake to platter, discarding foil. Cover cake with berries. Bring jam
to simmer in small saucepan, stirring often. Gently brush jam over berries.
(Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.)

Serves 8.

Bon Appetit February 1994

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