Ricotta Cheesecake

I've never made a cheesecake, so I thought I'd start by making a Ricotta Cheesecake! To me, it has a very similar taste to a regular cheesecake, but much lighter in texture and weight (making it not seem like you're eating a heavy dessert after a big meal)! This easy recipe will surely "wow" your guests as it literally looked like something I would have bought at a Whole Foods, but really was only a fraction of the cost! Bon Appetit!

Ricotta Cheesecake
from the Food Network
Cooking Spray
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (or reduced fat cream cheese) softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup all-fruit seedless raspberry jam
1 tbsp. orange liqueur or water
2 (6oz.) containers of fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 325* F

2. Coat a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.

3. Mix Ricotta in your food processor or with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sour cream, Nefchatel, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, orange zest and salt. Process until blended.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until the center is just set - about 50-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

5. In a small saucepan, bring the jam and liqueur/water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Brush the top of the cheesecake with the jam mixture and top with raspberries. Enjoy!