WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLE CHEESECAKE
Crust:
1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)
1/3 cup butter, melted
Filling:
1/2 cup raspberry preserves ………. 1/4 cup water
4 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar ………. 1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract …………………. 5 eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks
Garnish:
2 ounces shaved white chocolate (optional)
whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats (water bath).
Combine raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1-1/2 minutes on high. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds, and discard seeds. Allow strained preserves to cool, then put the bowl in the refrigerator until later.
Crust: Measure 1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers-- with the filling scraped out-- in a resealable plastic bag) into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted butter.
Press crumbs into 9 or 10” springform pan (that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper). TIP: Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath and prevent it from leaking. ~ Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.
Filling: Use electric mixer to combine cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix on lowest setting for a couple minutes or until ingredients are smooth and creamy.
(Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl).
Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.
Assembly: Remove crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto bottom of crust. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle raspberry preserves over the entire surface of filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. (Just swirl through a couple of times, so it isn’t all mixed together) Pour the other half of the filling into the crust. Carefully place the cheesecake into water bath that’s in the oven.
Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack.
When the cheesecake is completely cool, cover it with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to sit overnight. Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 oz of shaved white chocolate. Dollop with whipped cream around the edges, if desired. To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions.