Thursday, July 5, 2007

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake

This is a special 20th birthday / 2 1/2 year anniversary cake I made for my wonderful fiance, Andrew. He's been both my angel and my demon, my teacher and my best pupil. A white chocolate cheesecake was something the two of us shared for our (belated) one-year anniversary lunch at Milestones in Ottawa, where both of us were going to school. This year's anniversary was a total bust, thanks to my health taking a sudden downturn that led to my dropping out of school, so I'm hoping to make it up to him at the halfway point by going with him to lunch, seeing a Jays game (go Jays!! I'll even let you put a baseball cap on me!) and presenting him with this treasure from our memories.

This recipe is from the Kraft Kitchens website, and I modified it slightly as per my mom's suggestions and my own inability to adhere to any sort of direct recipe. It was incredibly simple to put together despite my own apprehensions (this was my first time EVER baking a cheesecake, and I wanted it to work desperately because it was a special occasion for us!). I even managed to remember to take pictures too, so go me! I almost didn't manage to make this sucker, either... just as the cake finished baking and it was sitting in the oven the meanest rainstorm we've had since moving in January unleashed. So with my puppy Shaggy by my side (actually in my lap because he's scared of thunder) I've settled down to give you the recipe, at long last!

Philadelphia's White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake (a la moi)
Serves 14-16
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
4 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine, melted
500g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 oz good-quality white chocolate (Lindor, etc), melted
6 Tbsp. raspberry preserves, divided

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
  3. Put the cookie crumbs in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir the mixture until the crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter. Transfer the crumbs to the buttered pan.
  4. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan, and slightly up the sides.
  5. Bake the crust for 6 minutes. Let cool completely.
  6. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

  7. Add eggs; mix just until blended.
  8. Stir in white chocolate.
  9. Spread 3 tbsp of the preserves on the baked and cooled crust.
  10. Pour cheesecake mixture into crust.
  11. 11. Dot top of cheesecake with small spoonfuls of preserves. Cut through batter with knife several times for a marble effect, or leave as is.
  12. Bang the cake on the countertop to settle batter.
  13. Bake 45 minutes at 325F or until center is almost set.
  14. Turn oven off, leave cheesecake to cool 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
  15. Refrigerate overnight.

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