Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Cookie Crust

Here's how it starts.

I get a box of cookies in a gift basket.
Chocolate shortbread. They're pretty good.

What can I do with them instead of eating them?
Answer: crush them, and make a cookie crust for a ricotta cheesecake (I dislike traditional cheesecakes made w/ cream cheese).

I never have boxed cookies laying around, so why not?

You can certainly bake this ricotta cheesecake without the cookie crust, but why wouldn't you add extra goodness, fat and calories to an already delicious dessert.
That's not really a question.

I adapted Bon Appetit's ricotta cake w/ raspberries but used 2 cups of fresh ricotta, and used Driscoll berries instead of frozen.

The cookie crust made this cake so delicious, no need for powdered sugar or anything on top. It's pretty fabulous on its own.

Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Cookie Crust:

crust:
1 box of chocolate shortbread or chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1 cup)
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar

cake:
16 oz. (2 cups) container of fresh ricotta (I like Trader Joe's)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 stick butter (4 oz.), melted
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
small package of Driscoll raspberries (because that is all that is available now in March!)

Crush the cookies in a ziploc bag with your hand or the back of a glass to form crumbs.

Pour them into a medium size bowl and pour in the half stick (2 oz.) of melted butter and the tablespoon of sugar. Mix together to form a nice crumby mixture.

Butter a 9" springform pan on the bottom and sides, then with a rubber spatula, spread the cookie crumb mixture on the bottom of the pan (if you have enough, it's ok to let it go up the sides).
Let cool and harden in the fridge while you make the ricotta batter.

Mix the ricotta with eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter.

Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and form a nice fluffy batter.

Spread this batter over the cookie crumb crust in the prepared springform pan.

Dot with raspberries pressing them into the batter with your fingers, so they don't run and get streaky while baking.

Bake 50-60 minutes until puffed and golden.

Let rest in pan 30 minutes before unmolding.

LOVED this cake, it's my new favorite!