Cheesecake

This cheesecake recipe comes from another medical student's wife. Her name is Lisa and she is known for her cheesecake making skills. She's also really nice. I found her recipe in the SAA cookbook, so I hope she doesn't mind if I post it here. Like I said, she's really nice so I'm sure she won't mind. :)

Original Cheesecake:
Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cheesecake Filling:
2 1/2 lb. (5 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the pan for serving.

**To make raspberry swirl: Take a pkg. of frozen raspberries and heat over medium heat with sugar to taste. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth (just eyeball it) and add to the raspberry mixture. This will allow the mixture to thicken. Once it boils the raspberry mixture has reached its thickest point. To swirl it, add half of the cream cheese mixture to the crust and then spoon in the raspberry mixture, saving some for the top as well. Add the rest of the cream cheese and then more raspberries and then take a knife and swirl it as much as you want. Then you bake it just like the recipe says.

**To make the chocolate swirl: Melt 1 pkg. of semi-sweet chocolate chips over a double boiler. To swirl it, use the same steps as the raspberry instructions.

Tip: Don't over mix it, especially after adding the eggs. This will keep it from cracking in the middle.
Also- I think I will cut down on the lemon zest just a little bit next time. It wasn't overpowering, I just think I would like a bit less.