Festive White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • Crust:
  • 2 cups crushed shortbread cookies
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • Filling:
  • 2 pkgs. (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 T. grated orange peel
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Sauce:
  • 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • 1/2 t. grated orange peel
  • Topping:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9" springform pan; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, chips, sour cream, sugar, orange peel and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
In a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until blended. Cool.
Just before serving, remove sides of springform pan. Spoon sauce over cheesecake to within 1" of edges. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe over sauce.