White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

For the crust:

1. Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix the cookie crumbs and the melted butter until well combined and moistened.
3. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Using a flat bottomed measuring cup, press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan,
4. Bake on a lower-middle rack until golden brown around the edges and fragrant, about 13 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the filling:

1. Make sure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature for a silky smooth texture.
2. Increase the oven to 500 degrees F.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and the sugar on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes, until combined.
4. Add cooled melted white chocolate, salt, and vanilla and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the paddle and the bowl well.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for about 30 seconds after each addition, scraping the paddle and the bowl after each addition.
6. Tap bowl on the counter several times so that any large air bubbles come up.
7. Brush the sides of the springform pan with butter and place on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pan and set aside for 5 minutes, allowing any air bubbles to rise to the top. Pop any unpopped bubbles with a fork.
8. Bake in a 500 degree F oven, checking with an oven thermometer, until you can see that the edges are becoming golden, about 10 minutes.
9. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees F and continue to bake until the center of the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly, about 1½ hours.
10. It is important to keep an eye on the oven thermometer to be sure the temperature is dropping to 200 degrees F. If it doesn’t drop quickly enough, crack the oven door open until the 200 degrees is reached. I have to crack my oven door open until the temperature reaches 200 degrees because my oven doesn’t cool quickly enough.
11. Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, 2½-3 hours.
12. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firmly set, at least 6 hours.
13. Top with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries just before serving.

For the raspberry sauce:

1. Thaw the raspberries and mix with sugar. Let macerate in bowl (or the blender) for 30 minutes.
2. Puree in blender until smooth.
3. Press through a fine mesh strainer using a rubber spatula to remove the seeds.
4. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.
5. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.