Enjoy a sweet berry cheesecake

This week, I am sharing a recipe for one of my favorite desserts ever, cheesecake. In this case, it's a white chocolate and berry cheesecake.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-BERRY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons melted butter

For the batter:

1-1⁄2 pounds softened cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

5 eggs

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 cups raspberries

2 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Granulated sugar

Putting it together

In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and butter until moistened, then spread and press the mixture into a round springform baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about seven minutes; set aside.

Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, mix at medium speed for about three minutes. Add the batter mixture to the baked crust. Top with the chocolate chips; mix a bit to spread the chips around. Arrange the berries on top of the batter in rows of alternating colors, or in any pattern you prefer. Brush about melted butter onto the berries and sprinkle with sugar, which will create a bit of a crust when baked.

Bake at 375 for about one hour, checking after 40 minutes (since most ovens vary). Refrigerate the baked cheesecake for at least six hours before serving. If you would like to serve it with some sauce, process some berries with sugar in a blender until liquefied, then pass the mixture through a strainer to make an easy raw berry sauce.

If you prefer, you can add water and cornstarch to the strained sauce and cook it until it thickens, but I prefer the fresh and crisp flavor of the raw sauce. Drizzle the sauce over slices of the cheesecake and enjoy.

Antonio Villagomez is head chef and owner of Cilantro's restaurant and catering in Yuba City, Calif. Contact him at 530-844-2111. His website is cilantros.us.