Raspberry Lush Cheesecake

Ingredients

Raspberry Sauce

• 2 2/3 cup Raspberries
• 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Graham Crust

• 10 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
• 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake

• 3 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cups Grand Marnier or orange flavored liqueur
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Raspberry Sauce. Puree raspberries until smooth. Press through a mesh sieve to remove seeds. Pour puree into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1 cup, if necessary. Whisk raspberry puree, sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Graham Crust. crush graham crackers and pecans. Mix with sugar. Add 2 tablespoons raspberry sauce and melted butter; stir until combined. Press mixture onto bottom of 9 x 3-inch springform pan with removable bottom. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Reduce oven to 325°F.
5. Cheesecake. Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in Grand Marnier and vanilla; pour into prepared crust.
6. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Remove from springform pan.
7. Spread remaining raspberry evenly over top of cheesecake; refrigerate 1 hour.