White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

1. Add the frozen raspberries to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the raspberries begin to break down and are liquidy.

2. Pass the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. You should have just under 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of liquid.

3. Return the raspberry liquid to the saucepan, off the heat, and whisk in the cornstarch and sugar.

4. Heat the mixture over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the jam is thick. It should measure out to 3/4 cup (180 ml).

5. Transfer the jam to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge while working on the rest of the cheesecake.

For the Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and sugar and pulse until combined.

3. Press graham crackers into the pan and about an inch up the sides.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely.

Cheesecake

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch together with a paddle attachment for two minutes on medium speed until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.

2. Add in the vanilla bean filling, sour cream and melted and cooled white chocolate and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again.

3. At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling. You will want enough water to go about 1 ½ inches up the sides of the springform pan.

4. Next add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter. Mix on low speed, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.

5. Pour the 1/2 of the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan with the crust. Spoon 1/2 of the raspberry jam over the batter. Gently swirl the jam and cheesecake batter together with a butter knife. Don't mix in all the way. Pour the rest of the batter in the pan and spoon the rest of the jam on top. Gently swirl the jam with a butter knife.

6. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the hot water in to the pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.

7. Bake at 350° F (175°C) for 65-75 minutes, just until the center has a slight jiggle. When the time is up, turn off the oven and crack the door open. It helps to use a large wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for another hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.

8. Then, remove from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter, and then refrigerate until completely cold, 8 hours or overnight.

Ganache

1. Add the freeze dried raspberries to a plastic bag. Crush them with a rolling pin until they are very finely ground. Pass the ground freeze dried raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Measure out 1 tbsp of powder and set aside.

2. Add the chopped white chocolate and heavy cream to a double boiler. Heat over medium heat until melted together. Remove from the heat and mix in the ground freeze dried raspberries.

Assembly

1. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer it to a serving plate.

2. Pour the raspberry ganache on top of the cheesecake. Use a mini offset spatula to smooth out the ganache. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for about 10 minutes, or until the ganache is set.

3. Once the ganache is set, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake. Top with raspberries, serve and enjoy! Store the left overs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.