New York-Style Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Always on the menu at Stone Hill Winery's Vintage Restaurant, this simple, yet elegant, dessert is a perennial favorite among guests. 

Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter and mix thoroughly with crumbs. Spread evenly over bottom of 9” spring-form pan, patting firmly to pack. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set pan aside.

Cheesecake:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs 
1/4 cup whipping cream

In large mixer bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract. Stir in whipping cream. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until smooth. Pour batter into spring-form pan. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300ºF and bake an additional 45 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on rack at room temperature. Chill cheesecake completely before removing from pan.

Serves 10-12.

Berry Sauce:
2 cups fresh berries, rinsed, hulled and sliced, or an equivalent amount of frozen berries
1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (amount depends on type and sweetness of fruit)
1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon, about 1-1/2 tsp. 
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. cold water

Combine all ingredients for berry sauce in a saucepan set over moderate heat. Stir gently and bring to a gentle boil. Stir until the sauce is clear and thickened. Remove from heat. Chill before serving. Drizzle 1/4 cup sauce over top of individual cheesecake portion.