Double Decker Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 325. Double wrap the outside of a 9” springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. (If you are using a leakproof springform, this step is not necessary)

Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and blend until coarse crumbs form. Add butter to the crumbs and mix until evenly moistened.

Press mixture onto bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Bake crust for 8 Minutes. Set aside to cool.

Press thawed raspberries through fine strainer into a small bowl to yield 1/2 cup puree. Set aside. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer just until smooth and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Stir in flour, then eggs one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla.

Separate 2 1/4 cups batter and stir in melted white chocolate.

Into the remaining batter, stir raspberry puree and optional almond extract. Pour raspberry batter into crust.

Place springform into a large roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan coming 1”up the sides. Bake 50 Minutes until the raspberry filling is beginning to puff at the edges. Remove from oven leaving the water bath in place. Cool for 5 minutes.

Spoon white chocolate batter over raspberry batter starting at edges moving to the center. Carefully smooth top with spatula. Batter can also be piped with a pastry bag in concentric circles over raspberry layer and smoothed with a spatula. Bake an additional 30 Minutes until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly. Let cool in water bath. Remove and refrigerate until cold. Loosen sides of cake with a knife and release springform ring. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired.