Whether you're cozying up for the Holidays or preparing for Valentine's Day extravaganzas with your significant other, a special dessert can take a regular night and make it magical.
One of my favorite dishes to accomplish this with is cheesecake; raspberry, graham cracker crust, CHEESECAKE *swoons*. And this cheesecake is one I can guarantee will be a delight to all that eat it.
So saddle up, this one is a bit longer but the end result is worth the ride.
From our kitchen to yours, Happy Baking!
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST:
1 3/4 c Gluten Free graham crackers (ground up; I love the Pamela's brand)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp butter (melted)
CHEESECAKE:
16 oz cream cheese (thawed)
1 1/3 c granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
2/3 c sour cream
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
RASPBERRY COMPOTE:
12 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Optional whole raspberries on top
DIRECTIONS:
CRUST:
Preheat the oven to 350°F:
Grind your graham crackers in a food processor or put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
In a mixing bowl, put in the ground graham crackers and add in the sugar, salt, and butter. Stir together until fully combined.
Using a 9 inch springform pan, line the pan with parchment paper and press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Make sure that it is an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
Once the pan has cooled, prepare it by wrapping it in tin-foil; only on the outside. This is meant to protect your cheesecake from water seeping in during the water bath -- if the wrapping is done improperly, water will leak in a ruin your graham cracker base. Add a minimum of three layers and try to make sure the foil goes up the sides of the pan as well as covers the bottom; no part of the top of the pan should be covered or you can't add your cheesecake filling to the crust. Also, if parts of the foil are sticking out near the top of the pan, it may affect the top of your cheesecake and ruin it.
CHEESECAKE:
Using a standing/hand mixer, mix all of the cream cheese on low speed. The cream cheese need to be extremely soft or it will not combine well with the other ingredients (I suggest thawing it for a few hours before starting the recipe). Add in the sugar 1/3 cup at a time and mix until fully combined.
Add in the salt and vanilla, and mix until it is incorporated. Add your eggs, one by one, still mixing at a low speed. Make sure you allow each egg to combine before you add the next one.
Next, add the sour cream and bump your mixer to a medium-low speed to combine. Scrape down the sides of your mixer to make sure all the cream cheese is combined evenly.
Finally, add the heavy whipping cream and mix until incorporated.
***Never mix cheese cake filling on high/medium-high because it will cause bubbles in the mixture and ruin the look of your cheesecake***
Place the foil-wrapped pan inside of another pan that has tall sides (like a glass pyrex dish). Bring 1.7 liters of water to a boil.
Change the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust in your springform pan, and smooth out the top using a flat spatula.
Place both the high-sided pan with the cheesecake pan in it into the oven. Make sure it is on the lower racks of your oven.
Pour the boiled water into the high-sided pan, around the cheesecake pan that you prepared with tin-foil. This is a water-bath for your cheesecake; the steam helps with the cooking process so that your cheesecake turns out beautifully.
Bake for 1 & 1/2 hours or until there is just the slightest jiggle left in the middle of your cheesecake.
Turn your oven off and slightly crack open the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. This step is important as it helps the cheesecake to not crack.
Once it has cooled in the oven, put your cheesecake in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or overnight.
RASPBERRY COMPOTE:
In a saucepan, heat the raspberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice on medium-high heat. Cook the mixture for 10-15 minute or until it start to thicken and pop. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
SERVE THE CHEESECAKE:
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Slide a thin flat spatula around the sides of your cheesecake and then pop of the sides of the springform pan. Remove the bottom of the springform pan and place your cheesecake on a serving dish.
Pour a generous amount of the raspberry compote on top and spread around using a spatula. Allow the compote to spill over on the sides!
Slice is up and ENJOY!
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