Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Wow, the summer has arrived in Florida and it is h-o-t.  Or as Clint Eastwood would say,  "It's not the heat, it's the humidity".  (I typed that while using my best Clint accent, squinty eye'd and all :) Yes indeed, probably not the best time of the year to have the oven on for an hour baking cheesecake.  Both the cheesecake and I even melted a bit while trying to get a photograph!

This is my take on the famous Cheesecake Factory version.  I have tried making this a couple of different ways and found that adding the chocolate chips right into the batter is the best.  Doing so does take away some of that cheesecakey tartness but the tart raspberry jam balances out the sweetness.
 
It's very yum.  I'll revisit this one in the fall when it is cooler, perhaps changing out the raspberry jam to something cranberry for the holiday season?  Hmmmmm, we shall see....
 

CHEESECAKE
Yield:  12 servings
 
CRUST:
1 1/2C chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4C sugar
1/3C butter, melted
 
1.  Combine all and press into a greased spring form pan.  I find that using a glass to press the crumbs into the bottom and sides helps with uniformity.
2.  Wrap bottom and sides of pan with foil.
3.  Set aside.
 
FILLING:
3 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
3/4C sugar
1/3C sour cream
3tbl flour
2tsp vanilla
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2C white chocolate chips
3/4C raspberry jam, seedless
 
1.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in sour cream, flour and vanilla. Be sure to scrape down the sides. Any lumps left in the batter will not disappear during the baking process.
2.  Add eggs, beat on low speed until combined.
3.  Fold in chocolate chips.
4.  Pour half the filling into the crust.
5.  In microwave, melt raspberry jam and stir until smooth.  Drop by teaspoonfuls over the batter (reserving some of the jam for the swirls on the top); cut through the batter with a knife to swirl. 
6.  Add remaining batter and repeat jam swirling process across the top.
7.  Place cheesecake in a larger baking pan and add about an inch of  hot water to the larger baking pan.  This is called a water bath.  It is a nice gentle way to bake cheesecake so it (hopefully) doesn't crack.
8.  Bake at 325 for 70-80 minutes.  It should still jiggle a bit at this stage. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. 
9.  Cool for at least an hour at room temperature,  then cover with foil and refrigerate over night. Do not remove the sides of the spring form pan until you are ready to cut and serve.

Stay cool and enjoy!