10ounces(283g)chocolate crackers, see note for options, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
4tablespoons(57g)butter, melted
1egg yolk, optional, helps make the crust richer and sturdier
Cheesecake Filling:
6ounces(170g)white chocolate, chopped (not white chocolate chips - see note)
¼cupheavy cream
3 packages(8-ounces each)cream cheese, softened
1cup(227g)sour cream
1cup(212g)granulated sugar
2tablespoonscornstarch
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½cupseedless raspberry jam (see note)
Garnish:
Shaved or finely chopped white chocolate
Fresh raspberries
Additional raspberry jam or puree
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the chocolate cookie crumbs, butter and egg yolk until well-mixed. Press evenly in the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the chopped white chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth (don't overheat). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until well-combined with no lumps. Add the sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla, and beat until evenly mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the melted white chocolate/cream mixture to the cheesecake batter and mix with a rubber spatula or spoon until combined (don't overmix).
Spread half of the cheesecake filling over the baked crust.
Lightly warm the raspberry jam until it is pourable without being warm or hot. Spoon it in dollops across the cheesecake layer and use a butter knife to lightly swirl back and forth into the cheesecake.
Spread the remaining half of the cheesecake batter evenly over the raspberry swirls.
Place the cheesecake on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes until the sides are set and the middle is just slightly jiggly.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least four hours or up to 24 hours.
To serve, garnish the top of the cheesecake with the shaved white chocolate and raspberries, OR, slice into pieces and garnish each piece individually with the white chocolate, raspberries, and raspberry jam.
Notes
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust: I usually use Nabisco Famous Wafers, chocolate graham crackers, or chocolate Teddy Grahams. You can use Oreos, but for this recipe, I'd probably scrape out the white filling before using. Raspberry: you can definitely use raspberry jam with seeds, too, I just like the look and texture of seedless jam for this recipe. You could also get fancier than raspberry jam and make a raspberry sauce: 12-14 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar (plus more to taste, if needed), squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan, mix to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened. Let cool before using (can strain out the seeds if you want it seedless). For the White Chocolate: (both in the recipe and for the garnish), I highly recommend using real, live white chocolate (I like the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars usually found above or near the chocolate chips). White chocolate chips often do not melt well and can clump. Don't mistake white chocolate for white almond bark/candy coating. That won't work in this cheesecake (it will be sickly sweet with a fake flavor).