Day 182: Cookies n Cream Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

Yield: 1 9’ Cheesecake
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
8 oz graham cracker crumbs
4 oz melted butter
½ cup sugar

1 pound 5 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate, melted
1 cup sour cream

chocolate wafer cookies (about 15) (famous chocolate wafer by Nabisco is my favorite)

2 bags frozen raspberries
1 lemon, rinded and juiced
sugar as needed to cut tartness
vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. grease and line with parchment a 9 inch cake pan or spring form pan. Also made sure you have a cookie sheet that it fits on with sides so you can fill the cookie sheet with water to make a water bath.
2. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker and sugar. Add the melted butter until it forms into a tight ball when you pack it in your hands. You may need more or less butter.
3. Press into the bottom of the pan and bake for about 3 min. take out, cook and put aside on the cookie sheet
4. Preheat oven to 325F
5. Melt the chocolate and quickly mix with the sour cream in a mixer until smooth. Then add the sugar and mix until smooth
6. Add the cream cheese (room temp) in chunks and mix until smooth, making sure to scrape the sides of the machine
7. Then add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until smooth…the key is it being smooth
8. When all are added, pour into the pan, leaving about ½ inch on the top. There should be some left over to pour on top
9. Take the chocolate cookies, break in half and place in a ring around the cake in the batter and in the center. Make sure they are even around the cake.
10. Pour the remaining batter on top to cover the cookie pieces
11. Bake in a water bath for about an hour until it begins to lightly brown and it shakes like jello not like water.
12. Chill at least 4 hours in the freezer or overnight in the fridge before attempting to depan. A frozen cheesecake is easier to take out.
13. For the sauce, take the raspberries and place in a pot and melt. Add the lemon juice, rind, and vanilla and cook until it is bubbling. You can add some sugar if it is too tart, but I like that.
14. When cooked, strain with a mesh strainer. This takes time, it comes out slowly, so be patient and press it through with a spatula. Chill the sauce and pour over slices when they are served.

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: I know the base is the same as my white chocolate cheesecake, but this just shows how versatile it is. SO GOOD! I made this for a soup party I was supposed to attend, and during a nice hangover after a full evening of bowling, and I struggled to get this done, mainly to the anger of my roommates who wouldn’t be getting any. Around dinnertime I got a call that it was cancelled, everyone else was too hung over to make soup, so I went to the living room and casually mentioned to the roomies that the cheesecake was ours, and im telling you, I have never seen people run so fast to the fridge, and it was gone in no time. The cookies melt to the same texture as the cake, and the crust and sauce are perfect. I love cheesecake, and this is just incredible. Sorry soup party! You missed out! Oh, and a side note, this is the official half way point of my project!!! 182.5 days down…182.5 days to go! I think this is a nice half way marker treat.