Ricotta Cheesecake

Fill a 9”x13” pan with about 1 inch of water and place it on the bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Pour them into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Mix it all together and dump it into the bottom of a 9” or 10” springform pan, pressing it down on the bottom until it evenly coats the bottom and is packed.

In a medium size saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips together with the half and half, stirring it as it melts. It will not fully combine. Set it aside to cool.

In the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the ricotta cheese, cream cheese and ½ cup of sugar. Mix on low speed until it is combined.

Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time while mixing.

Slowly pour in the half and half and white chocolate mixture and mix until it is smooth. The batter may seem runny, but not to worry, it will set up in the oven.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared cookie crumb crust and place the cheesecake in the oven on the middle rack.

Bake the cheesecake for about 80-90 minutes until the edges are beginning to brown. The middle of the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door propped slightly open for another 30-45 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to cool for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight-24 hours.

Serve with macerated berries or your favorite berry reduction.