It seems like I have not done a food post in awhile.  I feel like I need to get back to my roots.  I really adore cheesecake but I think I might have to lay off of them for a couple of months.  I always take my left overs to my family and they are all dieting right now.  I vow not to sabotage for a at least few weeks.  I made this cheese cake probably three weeks ago. I wanted to use dried raspberries and dried blueberries in it but could not find either.  I did not think that fresh blueberries would work so I just went with the fresh raspberries.  It worked out better than I thought it would.  It does need a little more sugar though.

Ingredients:

Crust:
-10 oz. box Lorna Doone Cookies
-1 stick butter (melted)
– ½ tsp. kosher salt

Process cookies in food processor almost to a fine crumb.Mix with melted butter and salt until completely combined.Press into the bottom, and maybe ¼ of the way up the sides, of a 9 inch. spring form pan.I only used ~ ¾ of the crumbs.You could use more to make your crust thicker or taller up the sides. I like a thinner crust. Bake in an oven preheated to 350° for ~15 min.Remove from oven and set aside to cool while preparing cake batter.

-2 lbs. cream cheese (room temperature)
– ½ sugar (Next time I will add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.)
-2 T. heavy whipping cream
-3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks (I don’t know if it really matters but I put my eggs out when I put out my cream cheese so they were room temperature as well)
-12 oz. fresh raspberries
-zest from 1 lemon (~1 Tbsp)
-1 T. vanilla

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until well combined.   Add eggs one at a time (I don’t know why you have to add them one at a time, but recipes always say to do this.I suppose I should Google it.).After eggs have been incorporated add the cream and vanilla, beat until well combined.But, don’t over mix (This is another thing recipes always say. I do not know why and probably should Google it.) Fold in fresh raspberries and lemon zest until well distributed.  To assemble the cake pour the batter over the crust and spread as evenly as possible. Bake in an oven preheated to 300° for 90 minutes.Turn oven off and continue to let the cake sit in the hot oven for another 90 minutes.Remove from oven and refrigerate cake for at least 4 hours or overnight.Slice drizzle with white chocolate ganache and EAT!

White Chocolate Ganache:

-10 oz. white chocolate chips
-2-4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream

I added ~2-4 T of heavy whipping cream to ~ 10 oz. of the white chocolate chips and micro waved them in 30 second increments (stirring between each heating) until my desired consistency was achieved.

*I really think this recipe (the cake batter) could have used a bit more sugar.  Next time I will add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.

~ 100 calories worth of size JUMBO eggs.  They are actually only ~90 calories a piece, as you can see from the label. But you get the idea.  I like to buy the jumbo eggs for hard boiling,they are a tiny bit easier to peel.  Most other eggs are ~70-80 calories each.  If I am at a restaurant and am not sure I will just figure about 75 calories per egg.