Thursday, August 9, 2018

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Creamy White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, complete with a homemade chocolate cookie crust and fresh whipped cream. This one is a showstopper!


This recipe begins with the crust and so that is also where we will begin. To make the crust you will need melted butter and crushed Oreo cookies. Yep – just two ingredients! You do not need to remove the cream from the center of the cookies. Simply place them in a blender or food processor and pulverize them into small crumbs. Once they’re crushed, you will combine them with the melted butter and then press this mixture into your prepared pan. And that’s that. You just made a homemade cheesecake crust!

The things you need to know :

  • The cream cheese must be very soft before you begin assembling this recipe. I typically leave my blocks of cream cheese out on the counter for at least two hours before I plan on baking.
  • You should also bring your eggs and sour cream to room temperature. Cold ingredients will not incorporate evenly. Batters made with cold ingredients don’t come together smoothly, so be sure to take the extra step and bring them to room temperature.
  • As for the chocolate, it will need to be melted and slightly cooled, about 10 minutes or so should do the job. I recommend using a white chocolate you know melts well. I used Lindt white chocolate with great results (and I promise I am not getting paid to say that!).

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

Creamy white chocolate cheesecake swirled with raspberry on top of a homemade Oreo cookie crust!


Ingredients
For the Oreo Crust:
  • 24 Oreo cookies
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
  • (3) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, VERY soft
  • 1 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, melted and slightly cooled
For the Fresh Raspberry Swirl:
  • 3/4 cup fresh raspberries
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • For the Whipped Cream:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Prepare the pan:
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Wrap a 9" springform pan VERY well in multiple layers of heavy-duty tin foil; lightly grease the pan with non-stick spray, and set aside.
For the Oreo Crust:
  • Add the Oreo cookies to the body of a small food processor or blender and pulse until the cookies are fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter, mixing well to combine. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing the crust down firmly and slightly up the sides. Set aside.
  • For the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
  • Beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream in a blender until completely smooth. Add in the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar; pulse until well combined. Add in the flour and vanilla and pulse for another 30 seconds, or until the flour has completely disappeared into the batter. Don't over mix! Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon juice and melted white chocolate, stirring gently until combined. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, spread evenly, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Top with the raspberry swirl. Place the springform pan into a large baking pan (with high sides) and fill the pan halfway with hot water; this is your water bath (see post if you need more information on this). Place cheesecake in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit for 45 minutes inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly in the center. Remove from oven and gently run a knife around the edge of the cake, loosening any bits that may have gotten stuck while baking. Allow cheesecake to rest on the counter for 30 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 6 hours. When ready to eat, simply slice, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve!
For the Raspberry Swirl:
  • In a small food processor or blender, puree the raspberries until completely smooth. Press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding seeds and pulp. Stir in the granulated sugar. Spoon the raspberry mixture on top of the unbaked cheesecake, a few dollops at a time. Use a skewer to swirl the mixture as much or as little as you'd like. Bake cheesecake as directed above.
For the Whipped Cream:
  • Place the heavy cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until semi-stiff peaks begin to form. Reduce the speed to low and add in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat for another minute or so. Dollop on top of cheesecake slices right before serving, or place in the refrigerator until needed. Keeps for 48 hours.