Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

This is an excellent cheesecake and I love the crust. I use Lorna Doone cookies! It is worth the work!

• Ready In: 5 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  cup  crushed  shortbread cookie (about 3 oz.)
• 3  tablespoons  toasted almonds, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, melted
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (6 ounce) package white chocolate, baking bars melted and cooled
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 3  eggs
• 2⁄3 cup sour cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (10 ounce) jar  seedless red raspberry jam
• 1  cup fresh red raspberries or 1  cup  frozen loose-pack lightly frozen sweetened raspberries

Directions

1. For crust:
2. Combine crushed cookies and chopped almonds in a small mixing bowl;.
3. Stir in melted butter or margarine.
4. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Set pan aside.
5. For filling:
6. Beat cream cheese and melted baking chocolate in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined.
7. Add sugar, beating mixture until smooth.
8. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; beat on low speed until just combined. DO NOT OVERBEAT.
9. Pour filling into crust-lined pan.
10. Place pan on a shallow baking pan in the oven.
11. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken. (This cheesecake puffs during baking then settles as it cooks); DO NOT OVERBAKE!
12. Remove springform pan from baking pan and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
13. Use a small metal spatula to loosen the sides of pan and cool for another hour.
14. Cover and chill for an additional 4 hours.
15. For sauce:
16. Melt preserves in a small saucepan over low heat.
17. Add berries.
18. Heat gently just until sauce simmers; cool.
19. To serve:
20. Cut cheesecake into wedges and drizzle some of the sauce over and around each serving.
21. TIP: to toast almonds, place almonds in a non-stick pan and stir over medium-high heat until they start to brown. I add a tad of butter to assist with the browning process.