I have a love affair with cheesecake. Seriously. It’s probably, most definitely, my all time favorite dessert. I love all kinds, all flavors; I want all of it, forever, me and cheesecake, everyday…. (I was totally channeling Nicholas Sparks there..In case you didn’t catch that…I’m feeling sappy.)
But White Chocolate Raspberry has got to be my absolute favorite. It’s the one I order anytime it’s on the menu..always. My silly fiancé, whom I keep telling you doesn’t like sweets, hates cheesecake..like, it makes his hair curl..I know, I still don’t understand it..how could you hate such a sweet, creamy, rich, and decadent dessert? Especially when I make it in cute little portion sizes!? Welll…he tried this, I know, I’m so lucky. ha! He ate a whole two bites, before continuing on claiming ‘wow, this is actually really good’ …..ya think?!!
So in conclusion, if my sweets hating fiancé thinks this is good, you definitely will. Its delicious, its creamy, its sweet without being too sweet, it’s beautiful, you can make it in individual servings or in a regular springform pan. I did it in little ramekins, that way I can just scoop it right out with a spoon whenever I so desire…aka every time I open the fridge..or sit in front of the boob tube with my personal sized, favorite-est, dessert ever.
Yah. Make it. Plus its gorg for vday! 😉 xo
Ingredients
- 1 package low fat honey graham crackers
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature, cubed
- Cooking Spray
- 1 1/4 cups frozen strawberries
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 1/2 (8 ounce) packages fat free cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 c half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Add graham crackers and sugar to a food processor, pulse until it turns to a powder.
- Add cubed butter pieces 1 at a time to the food processor, until you are able to pinch the mixture together and it sticks.
- Spray the cheesecake pan with cooking spray.
- Press in the crust.
- Pop your crust in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to warm up to help prevent cracking in the cheesecake.
- For the raspberry mixture, purée the raspberries and water in the food processor, strain through a mesh strainer, into a medium sized pan to remove seeds.
- Cook over medium high heat; bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low until mixture thickens slightly, about 10-12 minutes.
- In a stand mixer combine the cream cheese & sugar, mix until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.
- In a metal bowl over a pan of boiling water, mix white chocolate & half & half until mixture is smooth.
- Add creamy white chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture and blend to incorporate.
- Assembly:
- If using 4 (8 ounce) ramekins, divide half of the the cream cheese mixture evenly into your ramekins. Using 3/4 of your raspberry mixture, divide that evenly onto the cream cheese mix in each ramekin. Using the remaining cream cheese mixture evenly spread that out between each ramekin. Using what you have left of the raspberry mixture, divide that evenly among each. To attain the marble effect, swirl with a butter knife.
- Pop in the oven for 30-35 minutes until set. (Until it doesn't jiggle in the center.)
- Pull out and allow cooling for 20 minutes before placing in the fridge for eight hours.
- If using a spring-form pan, pour half of the cream cheese mixture into the pan. Pour about 3/4 of the raspberry mixture followed by the remaining cream cheese mix. Drizzle the remaining raspberry mix on top, swirl if desired.
- Pop in the oven for 1 hour, until its set, doesn't wobble in the center.
- Pull out and allow cooling for 20 minutes before placing in the fridge for eight hours.
