I don't know if you guys know this or not, but I LOVE to bake.
You also may not know that I'm sort of known for my chocolate chip cookies. And I won't lie, they're pretty epic. And though I've baked many different things, I've never made a cheesecake before. So last week, I decided I'd give it a shot and make one for Thanksgiving. Well, I actually made two. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so naturally I made a "practice" cheesecake a few days before, just to make sure it turned out OK.
Seriously, it was the best cheesecake I've ever had. The second I made it I knew I had to share the recipe with all of you. I was a bit nervous about making a cheesecake, but it was much easier than expected!
I found the originally recipe
here, and the only thing I changed was how I baked it. Prepare yourselves, for the amazingness that is...
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
-1 cup
chocolate cookie crumbs ( I used Oreos)
-3 tablespoons
white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (10 ounces) package of frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons conrstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
- 3 (8 ounces) packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Supplies:
9 inch springform pan
Mixer
Spatula
Strainer
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix
together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press
mixture into the bottom of your pan.
2.In a
saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and
water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is
thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Warning: this is the most time consuming part of the process. But it's SO worth it. I also added a bit more sugar to the sauce, as my raspberries were extremely tart.
3. Preheat oven
to 325 degrees F. In a metal bowl over a pan of
simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring
occasionally until smooth. You can also do this in the microwave. Just simply heat it only 30 seconds at a time, stirring it after each 30 seconds until it's mixed.
4. In a large bowl, mix together
cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over
crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining
cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry
sauce over the top. And the best part is using a knife to swirl the sauce to create the beautiful marbled effect.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or
until filling is set. Cool in the oven for 40 min, and then on the counter. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with the rest of the raspberry sauce.
The key to getting a cheesecake to cook absolutely perfectly, is by using the water bath method. What you want to do is wrap your pan with a few layers of foil to keep it dry, and then place it in a baking pan. After you place it in the oven, fill the baking pan up about halfway with boiling water. This helps the cake cook evenly, and helps maintain the custard like texture without overcooking it.
Another tip is to let the cake cool down for 40 min in the oven. Just turn off the heat, crack open the door, and let it cool down. Then make sure you let it cool on the counter until it is barely warm before you put it in the fridge. This will prevent it from cracking.
The cake was a hit at Thanksgiving! It's a great recipe for a holiday meal, and I really suggest you try it out!
Let me know if you try out this recipe. I guarantee it will be gone in just a day or two!
Happy Wednesday!
xoxoKelsey
