We love this cheesecake recipe from the Ultimate Cookbook. My husband makes it for most of our special occasions. I highly recommend it.
We prefer a richer crust so we add more butter than the recipe specifies. We found it is crumbly without the extra butter. We also add a little more Chambord liquor to the batter and add a tablespoon of Chambord to the Raspberry sauce. We do not mix in the Raspberry sauce in the batter for a cleaner look.
Our oven is very hot. We have to reduce the temperature or the cheesecake will burn on top. 325 degrees works better for us. The recipe calls for 350 degrees. The cheesecake takes 30 minutes to bake but start checking it 5 minutes before to ensure you do not overcook it. It needs to be firm in the middle when you gently shake the pan.
When the cheesecake has set in the middle, remove it from the oven but keep the pan securely fastened around the cheesecake. After 30 minutes to an hour, we will unfasten the latch to make sure the crust does not stick but leave it around the cheesecake overnight to protect it and ensure it stays together. We place the pan in a domed container so it is sealed. It is best to make this the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator. Take it out an hour before you serve; it is best at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Below is the original recipe from the Ultimate Cookbook for the instructions to make your cheesecake.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes Chilling time: 5 hours
1 1/3 cups finely crushed graham crackers
¼ cup butter, melted (no substitutes)
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¼ cup raspberry liqueur or milk
Raspberry Sauce
Fresh raspberries (optional)
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
In a medium mixing bowl, combine crushed crackers and melted butter. Press crumb mixture evenly on the bottom and about 1 inch up sides of an 8 or 9-inch springform. Set pan aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined. Add the eggs and egg yolk all at once on low speed just until combined. Stir in raspberry liqueur or milk. Stir ¼ cup of the Raspberry Sauce into half of the filling. Gently pour in half of plain filling into the crust-lined springform pan; pour in all of the raspberry filling. Gently pour in remaining plain filling. Use a narrow spatula to gently swirl batters being careful not to cut into crust. Place the springform pan in a shallow baking pan on the oven rack. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes for an 8-inch pan (35 to 40 minutes for a 9-inch pan) or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Remove springform pan from baking pan. Cool cheesecake in springform pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a small metal spatula to loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of the spring-form pan. Cool for 1 hour, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours. If desired, garnish with a few fresh raspberries and mint leaves. Serve with remaining Raspberry Sauce. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.
Raspberry Sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen, thawed raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 to 2 drops red food coloring, if desired
Press raspberries through a sieve to remove seeds. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in sieved raspberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly. If desired, add a few drops red food coloring. Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Per serving: 415 Calories, 7 grams Protein, 35 grams Carbohydrate, 27 grams total Fat (16 grams Saturated fat), 130 milligrams Cholesterol, 296 milligrams Sodium, 1 gram Fiber.
