The Ultimate Cheesecake

Crust:
2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar

Filling:
5 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream

Topping:
3/4 cup sour cream
1 10 oz pkg frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10 oz pkg frozen peach slices
1/4 cup sugar
1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
1 ripe peach, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup fresh raspberries

Crust: Preheat oven to 375F. In medium bowl, using a fork, toss crumbs with butter and sugar until moistened. Pour into 10-inch springform pan. With fork, press mixture evenly over bottom and up side of pan. Bake 5 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Filling: Increase oven temperature to 450F. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs and egg yolks one at a time; beat until smooth, scraping bowl with spatula occasionally. Beat in cream.

Pour filling into prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 250F. Bake 1 hour longer or until center is set but not firm. Remove to rack; cool 2 hours. With back of spoon, spread sour cream evenly over top of cake to within 1/2 inch of edge. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Topping: In food processor, puree raspberries with their syrup; pour through sieve placed over medium-sized saucepan. Discard seeds. Mix cornstarch with puree until blended. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; simmer 1 minute or until sauce is thickened and clear.

Pour raspberry sauce into small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. In clean food processor, puree peach slices with 1/4 cup sugar until blended; pour into small bowl; set aside. Remove cake from pan; place on serving dish. Spoon raspberry sauce over sour cream, covering half of surface. Spread peach puree on other half.

Arrange kiwifruit and peach slices along the line where the raspberry sauce meets the peach puree. Add whole raspberries as desired. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Pass remaining raspberry sauce and peach puree.

Makes 16 servings.

Recipe from: McCall's Cooking School

AUTHOR: Lori A