Chocolate Chip Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Yield: one 8-inch cheesecake
Oven temperature: 350℉

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2 cups Oreo crumbs (can be gluten-free)
• 3-5 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. sugar (optional, recommended for gluten-free)

For the filling:

• 24 oz. full-fat cream cheese
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

For the sauce:

• 16 oz. fresh raspberries
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp. corn starch

For the whipped cream:

• 1 c. heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line the base of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Oreo crumbs, butter, and sugar (if you are adding it) with a fork. Press the mixture into the base of your prepared springform pan. You can press the crust mixture up the sides if you would like.
3. Bake the crust in the oven for 5 minutes, and then chill it in the fridge. Begin boiling water for your water bath.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then stir in vanilla, salt, heavy cream, and chocolate chips.
5. Before adding your cheesecake filling to the springform pan, prepare the pan by covering the outside with several layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. You'll be placing the pan in a water bath, so you need the aluminum foil layers to be capable of keeping out water.
6. Once the pan is prepared, pour the cheesecake filling over the crust. Put the springform pan in a large roasting tin and place it in the oven. Pour boiling hot water into the roasting pan (not the springform pan) and bake for 45-55 minutes. The sides of the cheesecake should be set and the center should be slightly wobbly. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then chill in the fridge for at least four hours.
7. To make the raspberry sauce, stir together the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium-sized saucepan. Simmer on low until a sauce starts forming around the raspberries. I used a potato masher to break the raspberries into smaller chunks. 
8. Once the raspberries have cooked down into a sauce, pour some of the sauce into a small bowl. Mix the cornstarch into the small bowl of raspberry sauce and then add the mixture back into the pan. Stir rapidly until the sauce thickens. Cool in the fridge.
9. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with an electric stand mixer until stiff peaks forms. Chill in the fridge.
10. When you are ready to assemble the cheesecake, take the cheesecake out of the springform pan and put it on a serving tray. Pipe whipped cream around the top edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the whipped cream. You can pour the raspberry sauce onto the uncut cheesecake or you can wait and pour the sauce over each individual slice. Cut and eat!