Raspberry Cheesecake

Name: Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients: 2 cups ground graham crackers (about 1½ - 2 packets); 6 tablespoons sugar; ¼ cup butter, melted; 1 pint California Giant raspberries; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons sugar; 4 packs of cream cheese, softened; 1 cup sugar; 4 eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or can scrape out the inside of 1 vanilla bean!); springform pan; foil; large shallow sided pot (large enough to fit the springform pan in with water around it)

Raspberries help make this cheesecake rich in color and flavor when combined with light lemon juice and delectable cream cheese filling. The hot pink raspberry swirl on top is sure to impress any crowd.

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust:

2 cups ground graham crackers (about 1½ - 2 packets)
6 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

For the Raspberry Filling:

1 pint California Giant raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar

For the Cheesecake Filling:

4 packs of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or can scrape out the inside of 1 vanilla bean!)

Equipment Needed:

springform pan
foil
large shallow sided pot (large enough to fit the springform pan in with water around it)

DIRECTIONS

- - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- - In a small sauce pot, bring the ingredients for the raspberry filling to a boil and stir. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes and then cool in the refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.
- - Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground (some chunks are okay, but you want mostly ground up).
- - Stir together with sugar and melted butter until well combined.
- - Spray your closed springform pan with nonstick spray and then firmly press the graham cracker mixture down into the bottom. Using the bottom of a flat bottom glass is helpful.
- - Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then remove to cool.
- - With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. While mixer remains at medium speed, beat in 1 egg at at time and vanilla until well incorporated, stopping and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times. Make sure no lumps are left.
- - Tightly wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil (preferably one large piece) so that water cannot get in. If multiple pieces are needed, try to alternate the seams to prevent water from getting in.
- - Pour half of cream cheese filling on top of graham cracker crust and then evenly spoon dollops of the raspberry filling over top. Repeat with remaining cream cheese and raspberry fillings. Using a knife (making sure not to go down too far and hit the crust), swirl the knife through the raspberry in circle motions.
- - Place pan in the center of a large shallow sided pot and fill about ½ way up with water and then place on the center rack of the oven.
- - Bake uncovered for approximately 90 minutes or until the very center barely jiggles and the top is lightly browned. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and allow to cool to room temperature.
- - Remove pan from oven and water, removing the foil and the top of the springform pan, and chill overnight.