Pistachio Cheesecake

 Ingredients

For the crust:
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted, more for the pan
1 cup/125 grams all-purpose flour
⅓ cup/66 grams granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
⅓ cup/55 grams finely chopped pistachios

For the filling:
2 pounds/907 grams cream cheese (4 8-ounce packages), at room temperature
3¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup/226 grams creme fraiche or sour cream
½ cup/140 grams sweetened pistachio cream, paste or spread

For the topping:
2 tablespoons raspberry, red currant or other clear jelly (not jam or preserves)
12 ounces/340 grams fresh raspberries (about 2 cups)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and pistachios, and whisk until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand. Press crumb mixture evenly into the bottom and at least an inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the bottom is as even as possible.

3. Bake until the crust is set and golden all over, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Let crust cool for at least 10 minutes (or let cool completely).

4. Make the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat together softened cream cheese, sugar and salt until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes (or longer if your cream cheese was a bit cold). Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula before each addition. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts until combined, then beat in the creme fraiche and mix until smooth.

5. Place crust onto a rimmed sheet pan and pour in about half of the cream cheese mixture.

6. To the remaining cream cheese mixture in the bowl, beat in the pistachio paste until well combined, about 1 minute. Using a large spoon, gently spread the pistachio batter on top of the cream cheese layer, being careful not to pour the pistachio batter right to the bottom of the pan; it should rest on top (for the most part, some sinking is OK and will be covered by berries).

7. Bake cheesecake until just set, about 70 to 90 minutes. The edges will be firm, but the center 3 inches will still jiggle and look a little damp; it will continue to set as it cools. Turn the oven off but open the oven door, leaving it ajar by an inch or two (you can use the handle of a wooden spoon to crack it open). Let cake cool in the oven for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before refrigerating (this gradual cooling helps prevent cracks). Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

8. When ready to serve, carefully remove the springform rim. Cover the top of the cake completely with raspberries. Melt the jelly in a small bowl either in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove. Using a pastry brush, coast the raspberries with the jelly to give them a nice shine. Cheesecake can be topped with berries up to 6 hours before serving and stored in the refrigerator.