White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

This recipe got rave reviews from my family on Christmas! One tip, which made this even easier to make: I used seedless raspberry jam instead of cooking the raspberries on the stove. I just microwaved 6 tablespoons of jam for 30 seconds before adding to the cheesecake. It was so much easier and tasted fantastic! I also microwaved the white chocolate with half-and-half with excellent results. I will definitely make this again! Everyone was so impressed!

Calories 412 kcal 21%

Carbohydrates 34.4 g 11%

Cholesterol 101 mg 34%

Fat 28.3 g 43%

Fiber 1 g 4%

Protein 6.8 g 14%

Sodium 226 mg 9%