Double Decker Raspberry & Chocolate Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies, coarsely broken
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (12 ounce) package frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, juices reserved
• 6 ounces good-quality chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• chocolate curls (optional)

Recipe

• 1 crust:
• 2 preheat oven to 325°f
• 3 butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• 4 place cookies in processor and blend until coarse crumbs form.
• 5 add butter and process until evenly moistened.
• 6 press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan.
• 7 bake crust 8 minutes; cool on rack.
• 8 filling:
• 9 press raspberries and juices through fine strainer into small bowl.
• 10 measure 1/2 cup puree for filling (reserve remaining puree for another use).
• 11 stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until just melted and smooth; set aside.
• 12 using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
• 13 beat in flour, then eggs, 1 at a time.
• 14 beat in whipping cream and vanilla. transfer 2 1/4 cups batter to medium bowl; stir in melted chocolate.
• 15 stir reserved 1/2 cup raspberry puree and almond extract into remaining batter in large bowl.
• 16 pour raspberry batter into prepared crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan.
• 17 pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of pan.
• 18 bake until raspberry filling is softly set in center and beginning to puff at edges, about 50 minutes.
• 19 remove roasting pan from oven; let raspberry layer cool 5 minutes to firm slightly.
• 20 starting at edge of pan, spoon chocolate batter in concentric circles onto raspberry layer.
• 21 smooth top. bake until chocolate filling is set in center, about 30 minutes.
• 22 refrigerate cake uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours.
• 23 cut around pan sides with small knife to loosen cheesecake; release sides.
• 24 garnish cheesecake with chocolate curls, if desired.