Recipe: The Ultimate Cheesecake - McCalls Cooking School for April

THE ULTIMATE CHEESECAKE - McCalls Cooking School
Yield: 16 servings

Crust:
2 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c sugar

Filling
5 pk (8 oz size) cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/4 c sugar
3 T all-purpose flour
2 t grated lemon zest
1 1/2 t grated orange zest
1/4 t vanilla extract
5 lg eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c sour cream
1 pk (10 oz) frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed
2 t cornstarch
1 pk (10 oz) frozen peach slices
1/4 c sugar
1 kiwifruit, peeled & sliced
1 ripe peach, peeled & sliced
1/4 c fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Make crust: In medium bowl, using a fork, toss crumbs with butter and sugar until moistened. Pour into 10" springform pan. With fork, press mixture evenly over bottom and up side of pan. Bake 5 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 450F. Make filling: In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs and egg yolks one at a time; beat until smooth, scraping bowl with spatula occasionally. Beat in cream. Pour filling into prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 250F. Bake 1 hour longer or until center is set but not firm. Remove to rack; cool 2 hours. With back of spoon, spread sour cream evenly over top of cake to within 1/2 inch of edge. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. In food processor, puree raspberries with their syrup; pour through sieve placed over medium sized saucepan. Discard seeds. Mix cornstarch with puree until blended. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; simmer 1 minute or until sauce is thickened and clear. Pour raspberry sauce into small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. In clean food processor, puree peach slices with 1/4 cup sugar until blended; pour into small bowl; set aside. Remove cake from pan; place on serving dish. Spoon raspberry sauce over sour cream, covering half of surface. Spread peach puree on other half. Arrange kiwifruit and peach slices along the line where the raspberry sauce meets the peach puree. Add whole raspberries as desired. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Pass remaining raspberry sauce and peach puree.

Variation: Add variety to recipes that call for graham cracker crusts by mixing in the flavor of your favorite cookie. In any graham cracker crust regipe, use halt graham cracker crumbs and half chocolate, vanilla or shortbread cookie crumbs for an interesting version of an old favorite.