White Chip Raspberry Cheesecake

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

*Your Chef will lead you through all the techniques, so prepping ahead of class is optional

Ingredients:

Ingredients for the crust

  • 1 ½ cups Bakery On Main White Chip Raspberry Swirl Granola
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • water, as needed

Ingredients for the filling

  • 5 ounces (142 grams) white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 8 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Ingredients for the raspberry compote

  • 11 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure:

  1. To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Place the granola in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground- think graham cracker crumb consistency. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter, sugar and salt. It should hold together when you squeeze it between your fingers; if it doesn’t, add a bit of water until it reaches that point.
  3. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan or springform pan using the bottom of a cup or your hands. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. To make the filling: Put the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place it over a pot filled with 1 inch of water over medium heat (a double boiler). Once the chocolate has begun to melt turn the heat off-leaving the bowl on top of the pot- and stir until all of the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
  5. In a medium mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla bean paste, lemon juice and salt.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until it reaches medium peaks- similar to soft serve ice cream. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
  7. Spread the filling evenly into the crust, smoothing the top as best you can. Refrigerate for 6 hours or up to 3 days.
  8. To make the compote: In a small pot combine the raspberries and honey and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the raspberries have just broken down. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and salt. Cool completely before spreading over the top of the cheesecake.
  9. Garnish with some White Chip Raspberry Swirl granola around the edges before serving.