I adore cheesecake.  Thick, creamy, sweet.  I have to say, my favorite cheesecake is plain, nothing baked in, just the cream cheesy goodness.  Sure, I’ll top it with a variety of different things, like chocolate ganache, whipped cream, fruits, lemon curd.  But when it gets right down to it, just keep the cheesecake portion PLAIN.

I made a tiny exception here.

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I knew from the get go I wanted to top this cheesecake with a raspberry gelee and fresh berries.  That was a no brainer.  I had just been shipped a flat of Naturipe Red Raspberries, and they were burning a hole in my refrigerator.  They ached for cheesecake.  And if you’ve been reading here for any length of time and you keep a journal on all my idiosyncrasies, you know I don’t like crust.  At all.  Other than the fact that it holds a cheesecake in place, it’s nothing of use to me, so typically I omit it altogether. Instead of crust, I wrapped this cheesecake with toasted coconut flake, which was both gorgeous AND delicious.  What flavor! And, it played so well with the tart berries.  Knowing I was going with the toasted coconut wrap, I decided to add a tiny bit of coconut extract to the cheesecake.

Just another good decision.  Sometimes I make them, believe it or not.

I made this Toasted Coconut & Raspberry Cheesecake to take to Jon’s family Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit.  Even Jon’s sister ate it, despite being anti-coconut.  I was left with one scant piece at the end of the day, which I promptly ate after our 3 hour drive home.  I couldn’t very well throw it out, could I?

These raspberries were excellent.  It is rare that I use a berry in the off season, as we grow our own raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.  But, when these Naturipe showed up, they were a thing of beauty.  So fresh!  I was literally afraid Seven was going to eat them all before I could get them on to the cheesecake.  He’s a mad man for berries!

Honestly, this recipe for cheesecake is the only one I ever use.  Ever.  Yes, I will sub out orange oil, coconut extract, lemon zest, even a bit of mint on occasion, but the main recipe? I will NOT change it.  it bakes off perfectly, always creamy, rarely (if ever) cracks, and garners rave reviews each and every time I make it.  Give it a shot, I think you’ll love it!

The Giveaway

Guess what?  This giveaway isn’t even on my Gift Guide.

Nope.

But it’s fantastic.  it’s called…money.  As in $100.

Whaaa?  You already have some money?  Well then, I guess you don’t need to enter.  More for me.

Courtesy of Naturipe, one of you lucky readers will win a $100 Visa Gift Card, to buy whatever you want.  Maybe it’s a bunch of cookbooks.  Maybe it’s 11 Rubik’s Cubes.  Maybe you want to go on a date with your husband.  Maybe you just want a new pair of boots.  It’s up to you!  Here’s how you can win…

Just leave me a comment here, telling me your favorite thing to make with berries. Boom…you are entered.  But you know I can’t leave it at just one chance, right?

Of course not.

Naturipe is looking to meet you!  So, go become a fan on their Facebook page.  That alone will gain you 1 bonus entry.  Easy as pie. (Or Cheesecake)  But, while you are there, if you’ll comment on their wall, saying Hello, or that I sent you over, or something you’ve used berries in – that will gain you ANOTHER bonus entry!

But wait, there’s MORE!  Not only will there be a $100 Visa Giveaway, FIVE lucky alternate entries will win coupons for THREE FREE PACKAGES of Naturipe Berries!  That means there are 6 winners in this giveaway!

Contest is open until 11:59pm EST on November 26, 2011, and is shipped by and courtesy of Naturipe.  I was supplied berries as well and all opinions are 100% my own.

Just a final note about raspberries…

…so that you don’t feel guilty eating the whole container (not that I did that. Much.)

Raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, iron, potassium, antioxidants and disease-fighting ellagic acid. Ellagitannins, a family of compounds almost exclusive to the raspberry, are reported to have anti-cancer activity and contribute to the raspberry’s antioxidant power. They are also a great source of fiber, which has been found to lower cholesterol levels.

The BIG DEAL

See that 7 Quart KitchenAid?  I know you want it.  I certainly can’t blame you.  So, to keep it fun and interesting, I’m giving you LOTS of extra opportunities to win it.  For every giveaway you enter during my 25 Days of Doughmesstic Christmas, if you’ll go comment on THIS POST (Click thru!) saying “I entered to win the …” (you know, whatever you entered to win), you’ll get a BONUS entry to win the mixer.  That’s 24 additional chances to win that bad boy.  So scoot! Go enter to win today’s giveaway, and then visit THIS POST to comment for your bonus entries on the mixer.

Good Luck, and see you back here tomorrow for more fun things to win!  And, don’t forget there’s still time to win these other great gifts from the Gift Guide!

• Signed copy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Cookbook
• Cuisinart Combo Griddler

Tagged as: cheesecake, coconut, dessert, giveaway, raspberry