Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Cookie Crust


Here's how it starts.

I get a box of cookies in a gift basket.
Chocolate shortbread. They're pretty good.

What can I do with them instead of eating them?
Answer: crush them, and make a cookie crust for a ricotta cheesecake (I dislike traditional cheesecakes made w/ cream cheese).


I never have boxed cookies laying around, so why not?

You can certainly bake this ricotta cheesecake without the cookie crust, but why wouldn't you add extra goodness, fat and calories to an already delicious dessert.
That's not really a question.


I adapted Bon Appetit's ricotta cake w/ raspberries but used 2 cups of fresh ricotta, and used Driscoll berries instead of frozen.

The cookie crust made this cake so delicious, no need for powdered sugar or anything on top. It's pretty fabulous on its own.


Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Cookie Crust:

crust:
1 box of chocolate shortbread or chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1 cup)
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar

cake:
16 oz. (2 cups) container of fresh ricotta (I like Trader Joe's)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 stick butter (4 oz.), melted
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
small package of Driscoll raspberries (because that is all that is available now in March!)

Crush the cookies in a ziploc bag with your hand or the back of a glass to form crumbs.


Pour them into a medium size bowl and pour in the half stick (2 oz.) of melted butter and the tablespoon of sugar. Mix together to form a nice crumby mixture.

Butter a 9" springform pan on the bottom and sides, then with a rubber spatula, spread the cookie crumb mixture on the bottom of the pan (if you have enough, it's ok to let it go up the sides).
Let cool and harden in the fridge while you make the ricotta batter.

Mix the ricotta with eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter.

Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and form a nice fluffy batter.

Spread this batter over the cookie crumb crust in the prepared springform pan.

Dot with raspberries pressing them into the batter with your fingers, so they don't run and get streaky while baking.

Bake 50-60 minutes until puffed and golden.


Let rest in pan 30 minutes before unmolding.

LOVED this cake, it's my new favorite!


Comments

Natalia said…
Growing up, I was never fond of cheesecakes. As an adult, I have found a taste for them. Ever since I started following your blog, I've been baking ricotta cheesecakes, which everyone praises.

This weekend as we celebrate Easter, I am baking one of the recipes you posted in past - Best Damn Blueberry Ricotta Cheesecake, which is a real hit in my family. Thanks for all your fabulous recipe ideas!
Tracy S said…
So funny you posted this, I had torn the recipe out of BA and was planning to make it for Easter. Going to do it their way, but your adaptation sounds delicious too!
Bebe said…
In California, where we are already getting lots of well-priced good quality strawberries, the Driscoll brand is considered to be very good. I've never had their raspberries.

With packaged berries, I go by smell. If I can smell them, they are probably good as really fresh good berries are fragrant. And with strawberries, I look for green, fresh-looking (not wilted) leaves on their tops.

I did smell some wonderful-smelling raspberries at Sprouts, a specialty produce/grocery market here. But didn't need them that day (and DH is not a raspberry fan)...

Cake sounds quite delicious. The dark chocolate crust with raspberries.

Foodiewife said…
How can an East Coast girl not love cheesecake made with cream cheese?! I love it, but also love ricotta cheese cake. I wonder if those Driscoll rasPberries came from the fields that I drive by every single day? A piece of the Salinas Valley, in your kitchen. I've got to pin this one, and the chocolate cookie crust idea is brilliant-- you baking minx, you.
Ciao Chow Linda said…
I like all kinds of cheesecakes, ricotta or cream cheese. The chocolate crust takes this to a new level. Happy Passover Stacey.
Eileen said…
This looks amazing!
Yum. This would be good with my morning coffee.
xo, Rosemary
Yours looks way prettier than Bon Appetit's!