I served this cheesecake at book group this week. It's a great combination of the tangy orange, tart raspberries and sweet chocolate. This is the month of April recipe from my calendar.
Orange Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
Crust:
1 pkg (9 oz) chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
6 Tbs butter, melted
Filling:
4 pkgs (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbs orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
Sauce:
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients; press in bottom and 2 inches up side of ungreased 9-inch spring form pan.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in 1 1/3 cups sugar until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Add liqueur and orange peel; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour filling into crust.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until almost set. Cool completely, about 3 hours 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
In food processor or blender, process raspberries with syrup until smooth. If desired, strain to remove seeds. In 1-quart saucepan, mix 3 tablespoons sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in raspberry puree. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Cool to room temperature.
Carefully remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom. Serve cheesecake with sauce. Store in refrigerator.
