Abigail Kirsch is one of the country's preeminent caterers. In the course of a year she serves delicious, impeccably presented food to more than 125,000 people, but--like the rest of us--her busy schedule leaves her with little time to entertain friends and family. So, for all of us who want to know: "How can I possibly cook a dinner to impress the boss without taking a sick day to do it?"
To make the pastry, put the flour, sugars, butter, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse 8-10 times, until the ingredients resemble coarse cornmeal and remain crumbly. (Do not overprocess.) Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the crumbs.
Place the remaining crumbs in the middle of a 15 -by-10 -by-1-inch baking sheet. Press the mixture with your fingertips until it evenly covers the bottom of the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside at room temperature while you make the filling.
Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, zest and lime juice and vanilla and almond extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Spread the raspberry jam over the cooled pastry shell. Pour the cream-cheese filling evenly over the jam, and sprinkle with the 1 1/2 cups reserved pastry crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cheesecake to room temperature.
FINISHING TOUCHES AND TABLE PRESENTATION
Cut the cake into 1 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch squares. Arrange the squares on silver trays or in flat baskets, garnished with the lemon leaves and clusters of fresh raspberries.
