(Serves 6/8)
Crust
9 oz Chocolate cookies, crushed
7 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
Fruit Filling Layer
10 oz raspberries
1 tsp fine sugar
1 tblsp water
1 tsp corn starch
Cheesecake Layers (split in half)
40 oz - 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened (room temp)
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs, (room temp)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tblsp grated orange peel, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Crust: Place cookies in food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add melted butter and pulse until smooth. Press the cookie mix into a 9" springform pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup, pressing the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan cover and set aside.
For the Fruit Filling: Add the raspberries, sugar and water into a sauce pan over medium heat, stir until the raspberries are broken down, about 7 minutes, in a small cup mix the cornstarch with some hot liquid from the raspberries and then add back to the pan turn the heat back on to medium heat until the raspberries bubble for 15 seconds and turn into a spreadable jellly, set aside to cool.
For the cheese cake layers: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl between eggs. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
Brush the sides of the springform pan with butter and place on a baking sheet. Add 1/2 of the cheesecake batter, level it best you can with a rubber spatula. Add the fruit filling evenly over the top. Then cover the fruit filling with the last 1/2 of the cheesecake batter.
Bake at 325 F for 60-70 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the middle is just slightly jiggly. Turn off oven, crack open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and loosen sides of cheesecake from pan by running knife around inside of pan, let cool completely. Loosely cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.