Cheesecake Factory Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

YIELD 1 cake

ACTIVE TIME 1 hour

TOTAL TIME 26 hours

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (filling removed) or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)

• 1/3 cup margarine, melted

Filling

• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

• 1/4 cup water

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (room temperature!)

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 5 eggs (room temperature)

• 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks

Garnish

• 2 ounces shaved white chocolate (optional)

• whipped cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

1. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.

2. Combine the raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds, and discard seeds. Allow strained preserves to cool, then put the bowl in the refrigerator until later.

3. Measure 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers-- with the filling scraped out-- in a resealable plastic bag) into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine.

4. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath and prevent it from leaking. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

5. Use an electric mixer to combine the softened cream cheese with the sugar, room temperature sour cream, and vanilla. Mix on the lowest setting for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. You don't want to beat too much air into the mixture, or it will fall and be grainy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

6. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

7. Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Just a couple passes is fine, you don't want to blend the raspberry and cream cheese together too much. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust.

8. Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven.

9. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color.

10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a cooling rack.

11. When the cheesecake is completely cool, cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to sit overnight.

12. Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate. Apply a pile of fresh whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.

NUTRITION

Calories 900

Total Fat 62g

Saturated Fat 35g

Cholesterol 260mg

Sodium 410mg

Total Carbohydrate 79g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 67g

Protein 13g