- 1 bag (12 oz) frozen raspberries, thawed
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 12 to 15 whole chocolate graham crackers, depending on brand (see Step 3)
- 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) cold butter, cut up
- 3 bricks (8 oz each) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz white baking chocolate, melted as pkg directs
- Garnish - Raspberries and small mint sprigs
Raspberry Sauce:
Press raspberries with a rubber spatula through a fine strainer set over a small saucepan; discard pulp and seeds. Stir in sugar. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir cornstarch mixture into raspberry mixture and bring to a boil, stirring just until thickened. Cool and keep aside to use later.
I also used a few drops of red food coloring for my sauce just to give it a more vibrant color.
Heat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 3-in. springform pan with nonstick spray.
Crust:
Break graham crackers into food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Measure crumbs (you’ll need 11/2 cups), processing more if necessary. Add butter; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer to prepared pan; pat firmly over bottom and a scant 2 in. up sides (no need to be even).
Filling:
Beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed, scraping down sides occasionally, until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then white chocolate until blended. Pour into crust.
To Decorate:
Starting 1 in. from edge of pan, using photo as a guide, drop 12 evenly spaced 1/2-in. round puddles of raspberry sauce in a circle on cake batter. Make a second circle of 1/4-in. puddles 1 in. from first circle and a third ring of very small puddles 1 in. from second circle. Starting with outer circle, pull tip of a toothpick through each puddle to form hearts. Pull pick through puddles in second circle in opposite direction. Repeat direction used in first circle in inside ring of puddles. Refrigerate remaining sauce to serve with cheesecake.
Bake cake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250°F and bake 11/4 hours or until center just barely jiggles when shaken. Turn off oven (leave door closed); cool cake in oven 1 hour, then remove pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Carefully run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake. Remove pan sides; place cake on a serving plate. Place in cake keeper or cover with a bowl or pot. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
About 1 hour before serving: Remove cake and sauce to room temperature. Garnish cake with raspberries and mint sprigs. Serve with the sauce.
Planning Tip: The cake can be completed up to 4-days ahead. Refrigerate covered and remove 1 hour prior to serving.
What a lovely cheesecake!! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOMG this has to be the very best, i cant wait to make one for my family. BEAUTIFUL!
ReplyDeleteI've used this recipe "as is" except I used regular and not reduced fat products ... also substituted mandarin orange for the raspberry ... both super good!
ReplyDeleteIt would be so nice if I could print the recipe out without all the colorful ads to waste my ink.
ReplyDelete@anonymous, to print just part of a page, highlight what you want to print and in the "page range" box, click next to "selection".
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone. I have actually been wanting to add a "printable recipe button" I just need to get around to figuring out how to do it!!!
ReplyDeletePlease do figure it out -- my computer prints as soon as you click on the little printer, no chance to choose a selection.
ReplyDeleteto print up a recipe. I high light what I want then go to edit and hit copy. then I hit write mail and up come a screen to write a letter. I put the curser in the body of the letter so it will print in the body of the letter. then I go back to edit and hit paste. and voila there's the recipe. Then print it up. If you want the picture you just include that in what you high light.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the printing heads up. That will save me paper and ink and it is so easy.
ReplyDeleteThis is delicious. I've made it more than once and it's a favorite of my friends and family.
ReplyDeleteMy wonderful husband showed me how to add the printable recipe button. Check it out!
ReplyDeletecan i freeze this, and then defrost it when i'm ready to serve it 5 days from now?
ReplyDeleteJennifer:
ReplyDeleteYes - you can freeze cheesecakes. I have frozen them over a month and they were great! This is the wonderful thing about cheesecakes, is that you can freeze them ahead and use later. Freezing for more than a month is not recommended to retain the best quality.
Cool the cheesecake completely before freezing.
To use bottom of springform pan - Remove the outer rim (sides) of the springform pan, leaving the cheesecake sitting on the bottom of the pan. I then wrap each cheesecake (with the bottom of the pan) with several layers of plastic wrap and then a layer over the outside with aluminum foil.
To use a cardboard bottom - After the cheesecake is completely cooled, use a knife to separate the cheesecake from the pan bottom. Slide it onto a foil-wrapped piece of heavy cardboard. Then wrap each cheesecake (with the bottom of the pan) with several layers of plastic wrap and then a layer over the outside with aluminum foil.
For a cheesecake with topping, such as fruit, always freeze cheesecake WITHOUT the topping and add the topping before serving.
Always thaw a cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator. When partially thawed, transfer it from the cardboard or springform bottom to a serving plate.
thanks!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cake!!
ReplyDeleteI made this for my grandmother's birthday yesterday & even my (very picky and cheesecake loving) dad loved it. This will be a keeper (check out my blog soon for my version). I would love to try this with dark chocolate instead of white for a "light tasting" chocolate cheesecake too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for my now "go-to" cheesecake recipe/method!