Instructions

FOR THE RASPBERRY SWIRL
1. I make the raspberry swirl first so it has time to cool and thicken. In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the raspberries are completely reduced to a jam-like puree. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes and then force through a fine mesh strainer to catch all the seeds and pulp. Set puree aside to cool while you prepare crust and filling.

FOR THE CRUST
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9 x 13” baking pan with parchment paper leaving about 2 inches overhanging on each side for easy removal of bars. Place the oreo cookies and melted butter in the bowl of your food processor or blender; process until reduced to fine crumbs. Press the mixture firmly at the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake the oreo crust for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the cheesecake filling.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth; next, add the sour cream.

4. Gradually add the sugar and beat until mixture is super smooth and creamy.

5. Add the eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and flour. Beat for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to over mix. Over beating the eggs can make cracks in the cheesecake.

6. Add melted white chocolate to cream cheese mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

7. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it all the way to the sides.

8. Gently drizzle the raspberry mixture all over the top of the cheesecake batter with a spoon and then, using a wooden skewer, make little swirls in the mixture. Be sure not to go all the way to the bottom with the skewer so you don’t end up damaging the crust. NOTE: (I like to reserve about a tablespoon of the raspberry mixture to drizzle over the cooked cheesecake. It adds a nice finished shinny color to the bars. I use a tiny paint brush to do this. I just brush the bake raspberry swirls very gently with the reserved raspberry sauce. (This is totally optional!)

9. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and a light golden brown around the edges.

10. Let the bars cool completely at room temperature then place them in the refrigerator until they are completely chill, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight before cutting into bars.

11. When ready to serve, gently lift the bars from the pan by pulling the parchment paper over laps and place them on a large cutting board. Cut the bars with a large cutting knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. It yields 16 squares or you can make them larger or smaller.

13. Garnish with fresh raspberries, fresh mint and white chocolate curls, if desired.