White Chocolate Cheesecake

One 10-inch Cake

Crust:

• 2 cups ground cookies (either dark chocolate or gingersnaps)

• 3 Tablespoons white sugar

• 4 ounces melted unsalted butter

Cake:

• 6 ½ ounces white chocolate, melted (roughly one rounded cup)

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 ½ cups sour cream

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Dash of almond or orange oil

• 2 eggs, room temperature

1)     Melt the 4 ounces of butter.  Grind the cookies in a food processor and empty into a small bowl.  Stir the sugar into the crumbs.  Pour the butter over the crumbs and toss to moisten. 

2)     Butter a 10-inch spring form pan and wrap the outside of the pan in foil.  Press the crumbs up ½ of the pan and cover the bottom.  Bake the crust in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes until crust is set and slightly golden.

3)     Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. 

4)     Add all the cake ingredients, except the eggs, together in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth and glossy.  Pour the batter into the prepared crust.

5)     Bake the cake in a water bath for 70-80 minutes or until top is slightly browned and does not loosely jiggle.  Let the cake cool in the water bath and then chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

6)     Serve with a generous topping of your best homemade jam.