Raspberry Vanilla Cheesecake

A wonderful cheesecake recipe featuring a topping of our Seedless Red Raspberry Preserves.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Shortbread cookies, ground
1 cup Hazelnuts, toasted, husked
1/4 cup Sugar, for crust
1/4 cup Butter, unsalted, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 Vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1/3 cup Whipping cream
24 oz. Cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Sour cream
2 tsp. Vanilla extract, for topping
1/2 cup Robert Rothschild Farm Seedless Red Raspberry Preserves, for topping

Directions
1. For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Finely grind ground cookies, nuts and sugar in processor. Add butter and vanilla; process until moist crumbs form. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9 inch diameter spring form pan with a 2 3/4 inch sides. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Bake until crust is light golden, about 15 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
2. For Filling: Scrape seeds from vanilla beans into heavy small saucepan; add beans. Add cream and bring to a boil. Cool completely. Discard beans. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add vanilla-cream mixture, sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
3. Gently mix 2 baskets of raspberries and cornstarch in medium bowl. Pour 2/3 of filling into crust. Sprinkle berry mixture over. Pour remaining filling over berries to cover. Bake until cake is golden and begins to crack around edges but still moves slightly in center when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes (cake will fall).
4. Meanwhile Prepare Topping: mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Gently press down any raised edges of cake. Spoon topping evenly over cake. Bake 10 minutes. Cool cake on rack. Refrigerate overnight. *Can be prepared 2 days ahead -- keep refrigerated).
5. Melt Seedless Red Raspberry Preserves in small saucepan over low heat. Brush some preserves over top of cake. Arrange remaining berries atop cake. Gently brush berries with remaining preserves. Can be made 8 hours ahead, keep chilled.
6. Run small sharp know around pan sides to loosen cake. Place cake on platter. Serve cold.