Recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake for Landa

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

CRUST
2 cups Plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup Chopped pecans
1/2 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 cup Sugar

FILLING
2 pounds Room temperature cream cheese
1 cup Sugar
5 Jumbo eggs
6 ounces Melted white chocolate
1 pint Raspberries
1/2 cup Whipping cream
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Vanilla

TOPPING
2 tablespoons Rum -- optional
1 pint Raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch

For crust: Put pecans in small bowl with butter and microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes. Stir dry ingredients together in 10-inch springform pan. Add butter and nuts and mix well. Pat onto bottom and sides.

For filling: Beat cream cheese until light. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time; beating after each. Add remaining ingredients except berries and mix well. Pour into pan. Drop berries on top and push down with fork so that batter covers them.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours in which a pan of water has been placed on the bottom rack. Remove from oven and run knife around the edge to loosen from pan and prevent a cracked cake when cooling.

For topping: 1 pint raspberries 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 Tb rum (optional) Stir sugar and cornstarch WELL in saucepan. Add berries and water and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in rum. Pour over cooled cake. (I refrigerate the cake for a day first, then put topping on just before serving).