Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Did you know that Saturday was National Cheesecake Day?  Oh my, how could we miss an entire day devoted to cheesecake?!?  Everyone loves cheesecake!  New Yorkers make it extra tall and decadently delicious.  In Chicago, sour cream is added to the recipe to keep it creamy.  Philadelphia cheesecake is known for being lighter and creamier than New York-style cheesecake and it can be served with fruit or chocolate toppings.  The St. Louis version features a gooey butter cake, with an additional layer of cake topping on the cheesecake filling.  No matter where you’re from or how you like it, grab your fork and get ready to celebrate with this Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake recipe!

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Makes 16 servings

20 chocolate wafer cookies
2 tablespoons butter
2 packages (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
2   packages (8-oz each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1-1/2   cups granulated sugar
2/3   cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1   teaspoon vanilla extract
4   large eggs
2   packages (6-oz each) Driscoll’s Raspberries
2   ounce bar of semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with fingers or roll with a rolling pin or food can to make about 1 cup fine crumbs.

Melt butter in a saucepan or medium bowl in the microwave. Stir in crumbs until evenly blended with butter.

Press crumbs firmly on bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Beat cream cheeses in a large bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, starting on low speed then increasing to high, until thoroughly mixed.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl well after each addition. Gently stir in 1 cup raspberries. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until just barely set in center. Edges may crack slightly. Turn oven off and leave in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven and cool completely.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Run a knife around edge and remove rim.

Top cheesecake with remaining raspberries. Hold chocolate bar over cheesecake; firmly slide a sharp vegetable peeler along edge of chocolate allowing shavings to fall on cake.

{Recipe courtesy of Driscoll’s, Photograph courtesy of Driscoll’s. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.}