Raspberry Ribbon Cheesecake

Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients together and press them into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill for 1 hour or until firm.

Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor then press them through a sieve and discard the seeds. Add water if neccessary to measure out 1 cup. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the raspberry juice and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, then stir in the lemon juice and set aside.

Filling/Topping

Ingredients:

• 3 packages (8oz ea) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until fluffy. Add the egg whites and beat on low just until blended. Stir in the cream and pour half into the crust. Top with 3/4 cup of raspberry sauce (cover and refrigerate remaining sauce). Carefully spoon the remaining filling over the sauce. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is nearly set. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the pan to loosen the crust. Cool on the wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Add orange juice to the chilled raspberry sauce then gently fold in the raspberries. Spoon over the cheesecake.