Red, White and Blue Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust

Source: Gourmet - July 1993

Crust
28 chocolate wafers
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Grind wafers fine in a blender or food processor (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs).

In a bowl stir together cookie crumbs and butter until the mixture is combined well. Pat the mixture onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Chill the crust for 30 minutes.

Filling
32 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
About 1 1/2 cups raspberries
About 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until it is combined well.

Beat in flour; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, zests, salt and vanilla extract, beating the filling until it is combined well.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake the cheesecake in a foil-lined shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (The cheesecake will not be completely set; it will set as it cools.)

Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stand in the oven with the oven door propped open about 6 inches until it is cooled completely and remove the side of the pan.

Arrange the raspberries on top of the cheesecake in a star shape and arrange the blueberries around the star to cover the top of the cheesecake.