White Chocolate Cheesecake

Here's a great dessert to make this summer when berries are abundant and at their ripest.  Make the gluten free crust that I offer or for ease, pour the filling into one of those pre made chocolate cookie crusts.  Serve with fresh berries or the blueberry-raspberry sauce below.

For the crust:
1  1/4 cups whole almonds, rather finely ground
4 ounces butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbl cocoa powder
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together and pat into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake the crust in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and cool.

For the filling:
1 pound softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup gluten free white chocolate chips or baking morsels, melted
1/4 cup water
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 Tbl sugar
1  6 ounce package fresh raspberries
In a mixing bowl mix the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract with an electric mixer until well blended.  Add the eggs, one at a time, while still mixing.
Stir in the melted white chocolate until fully incorporated.
Spread the mixture over the prepared crust and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes until the center just sets.( check at 30)
Remove from the oven, let cool and the refrigerate for at least 4 hours.


For the topping, heat the blueberries, water and sugar in a saucepan until the berries just begin to soften and burst a little.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the raspberries.  Let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.