Tuesday Treats: White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

Hello friends!  Today for Tuesday treats I’m sharing a recipe that is a little more complex, but it is SOOOOOO worth the effort!  This recipe is for the most fabulous white chocolate cheesecake.  One of the best things about this recipe is that it can be tweaked many different ways to change the flavor profile.  I am an absolute nut for cheesecake.  The problem is that it can go seriously wrong.  I’ve had many that are grainy, and simply fall flat.  The key to the best cheesecake is to achieve a beautiful, velvety texture.  I’ve made this recipe many different ways.  Just a few variations that I’ve tried are with fresh lemon zest and blueberries, topped with fresh raspberries, topped with traditional cherry pie filling (homemade of course), an Oreo version, salted caramel,  and I have also added peppermint extract and topped it with crushed peppermint for Christmas.  It is absolutely delicious, and it looks beautiful enough to take to a special event!  Oh, and topping the cheesecake with the fresh raspberry coulis ( a fancy name for sauce) is life changing!  Cheers and happy eating!  As always, if you have any questions just holler!  That’s my dish! 

xoxo Deb

Deb’s White Chocolate Cheesecake:

Basic Graham Cracker Crust:

• 18 graham cracker squares crushed into fine crumbs (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp melted butter.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter, and mix well.  Pour the buttery crumbs into an 8-inch spring-form pan and press the crumbs into a smooth layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 6-9 minutes until it is lightly golden brown.  Cool completely.  Wrap the exterior of the spring-form pan containing the baked crust with aluminum foil so that the foil covers the entire bottom and goes up the sides of the pan.  This will keep water from seeping into the spring form pan when the cheesecake is baked, causing your crust to get soggy. 

Cheesecake:

• 2- 8 oz packages Cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 oz white chocolate, melted (I use ghirardelli white baking bars)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt.  Blend in the melted white chocolate.  Pour the batter into the cooled crust.  Place the cheesecake pan into a larger pan (I use a roasting pan) and carefully pour hot water into the larger pan creating a water bath. The water should go about halfway up the sides, but not higher than the foil. Bake for 45 minutes.  Turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour without opening the door. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the pan of water.  Remove the foil from the exterior and allow it to cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cheesecake Frosting:

• 1  8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz white chocolate, melted

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.  Gradually beat in the melted white chocolate.  Remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan.  Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cheesecake.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Raspberry Coulis:

• 4 containers of fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar (can be adjusted depending on sweetness of raspberries)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp almond extract (optional)

Mix the raspberries, sugar, and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-high heat,  stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow the mixture to thicken a bit more.  This may take a few minutes.  Once the mixture is thickened and clear, remove it from the heat.  Add in the butter, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir to combine.  Cool slightly.  Press the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve.  Discard the seeds. Top each slice of cheesecake with a generous spoonful of the fresh raspberry coulis.