White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I’ve been meaning to post this cheesecake recipe all week, but just haven’t had the time to type it up. I made this for Mother’s Day at my parents’ and it was a huge hit! Not only is it beautiful, but it tastes fantastic! It’s nice and creamy, and the raspberry sauce was wonderful. It would be great with fresh raspberries on top if you have them. I was very glad it was Mother’s Day, because that meant I was entitled to one of the two pieces leftover. Like most cheesecake, it was even more delicious the next day. Definitely a keeper!
Doesn’t it look divine?

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup finely crushed Oreos (I removed the filling)
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp melted butter

Raspberry Sauce:
1/4-1/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 10oz package frozen raspberries

Filling:
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half & half (or 1/4 cup cream+1/4 cup milk)
3 8oz packages cream cheese (I used light)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
For crust: Combine all ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. Set aside.
For sauce: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add water and berries. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside.
For filling: Melt chips and cream in a glass bowl in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning. Beat together cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of sauce over the batter in little dollops. Swirl. Pour remaining batter on top. Spoon another 1/4 cup sauce over the top. Swirl with the tip of a knife.
Bake at 325° for about 60-65 minutes. The center will still be slightly jiggly, but it will set as it cools.
Cool, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours. Serve with remaining sauce.

Notes:
-For a creamier cheesecake, place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of your oven as the cheesecake is baking. The steam from the water prevents the cheesecake from drying out.
-If you are having a hard time straining the sauce, you can stir a little water into it.