Happy Birthday to Nonna Daniela! She was going to make her own cake and I thought that was just plain silly. Daniela is not big on cakes and described a cookie crust pudding like pie that she had that she really liked, so I decided to create the only cheesecake I’m willing to eat, thinking it would be be something she would like. I couldn’t find any raspberries so I tried strawberries this time and it worked great. Turns out I was right, Daniela loved it! She even was upset when we cleared away her dish when we thought she was finished. She went to get another. I love this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I usually use oreos with chocolate stuffing)
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3 baskets of fresh raspberries or 1 10 oz. frozen bag
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
- 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.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. 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. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.
