Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups fine Graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole crackers)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling

• 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3 large eggs + yolk of 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 drops red food color
• Fresh raspberries (for garnish)
• Mint leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. Mix crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Stir in butter with a fork until moistened. Pat over bottom of pan.
3. Stir and press raspberries with back of a wooden spoon through a strainer set over a bowl. You should have 1 1/2 cups puree. Discard seeds and pulp.
4. Beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth.
5. Beat in eggs and yolk until blended, scraping down sides of bowl twice.
6. Beat in melted chips, then 1 cup of the raspberry puree (refrigerate remainder to serve with cake), the lemon juice, vanilla extract and food color. Pour over crust.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake 1 hour longer or until cake is almost set at center.
9. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least 2 hours or until cold.
10. To serve, release pan sides. Remove cake from pan with a wide spatula; slide onto serving plate. Garnish with raspberries and mint.
11. Serve with raspberry puree.