CRUST:
½ stick melted butter
1½ cups crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 (13-ounce) jar raspberry preserves, divided
FILLING:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1½ cups sugar
5 eggs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
TOPPING:
1 cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
(10-ounce) jar lemon curd
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, in a bowl, combine butter, crumbs, and sugar. Press on bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Spread about 1/3 of raspberry preserves over crust; set aside. For filling, with mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. Beat in sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly. Beat in zest and juice. Pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes. For topping, in a bowl, stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Remove cheesecake from oven, and spread with topping. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Spread with lemon curd. Prepare sweetened whipped cream by beating with mixer 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and ½ cup sugar. Spread over lemon curd. Chill. For Raspberry Sauce, heat remaining 2/3 jar of raspberry preserves with 2 teaspoons water in microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle over each piece.
Yield: 10 servings