Raspberry And Vanilla Cheesecake

To make the crust, place the wafers in a food processor fitted with
the metal blade and process until finely crushed. Add a couple of
drops of water. Press the mixture evenly and firmly onto the bottom
of a springform pan (see note below), making a fist and using the
back of your hand and fingers. Refrigerate the crust while you make
the filling.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream
cheese until smooth. On low speed, add the sour cream and vanilla and
set aside. In a clean mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment,
combine the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar. Whisk for 4 to 5 minutes
until fluffy. Fold in the softened cream cheese mixture. Separate
this mixture into two large glass bowls. To one of the bowls, add the
raspberry puree, mix well.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer with clean, dry beaters,
beat the egg whites. Start at low speed and increase the speed as the
peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. When the whites
are stiff but not dry, scrape them equally into the two bowls of
filling and use a spatula to gently fold them in. Don’t overmix the
filling.

Pour alternating plain mixture and raspberry mixture into the
prepared pan until the pan is filled. Bake for approximately 1 hour,
until the cake has risen and browned slightly and it just shimmies
when you gently move the pan. It’s a good idea to place the
springform on a low, flat, pan, such as a pizza pan, to catch any
batter that leaks. Turn the heat off and let the cake stand in the
oven for 1 hour more. Remove the cake from the oven and cool before
serving. You can make this cake a day ahead.

Yield: 16 slices

Note: To make raspberry puree, take 1 pint of fresh or frozen
raspberries, process very fine in a food processor, and strain
through a very fine sieve.

Note: If your springform pan has lost some of its spring, cover the
bottom and halfway up the sides with foil to prevent any leaking
batter from landing on the bottom of your oven and burning.