Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Raspberry swirl:

• 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups (170g) fresh or frozen raspberries do not thaw if using frozen berries
• 2 tablespoon (25g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon (10ml) water
• 1 ½ teaspoon (4g) cornstarch

Crust:

• ⅔ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (21g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
• ⅕ cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake filling:

• 1 pkg (250g) cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ¼ cup (60ml) full fat sour cream
• 3 oz (85g) pure white chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Make & cool the raspberry sauce. The raspberry sauce must cool down completely before using, so I recommend making it first. Combine raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice together in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes until the berries are thawed and start breaking down. Stir the mixture as it comes to a simmer, breaking up some of the raspberries as you stir.
2. Once the raspberries have broken down and are simmering, mix water with cornstarch in a very small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Continue to cook and stir until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove the pan from heat and pass it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds if desired. I like to leave the seeds in. Allow the raspberry sauce to cool completely and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Cover and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang along each side.
4. Make the crust. Combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix well so there are no lumps of brown sugar and everything is evenly blended. Add the cooled melted butter and mix with a spoon until it begins to form crumbs, then use your hands to mix it well so all of the ingredients are incorporated and it holds together in clumps. Turn it out into prepared pan and press it down in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly puffed and feels somewhat dry. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C.
5. Make the cheesecake filling. Beat soft cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until very silky and glossy. Beat in egg until well combined, then mix in sour cream. Finally, add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Spread this batter evenly over the slightly cooled crust. Take spoonfuls of the raspberry compote and dollop them randomly over the surface of the cheesecake, then take a butter knife or a skewer and swirl it through the batter.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set around the edges with a very slight wobble in the middle. It should look matte on the surface but will not get browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve with extra fresh raspberries.