FILLING: Stir chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water and cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and salt in processor; blend until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. With motor running, add whipping cream through feed tube and process just until blended. With motor running, add melted chocolate, then add eggs 1 at a time, blending and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition until batter is smooth. Pour batter over crust in pan.
Bake cake until outer edge is slightly puffed and cake is barely set in center (center will look shiny and move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 55 minutes. Transfer cake to rack. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
TOPPING: Whisk sugar, egg whites, 3 tablespoons water, cream of tartar, and salt in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens and is hot to touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water and stir in marshmallows (keep water simmering in saucepan). Let stand until marsh-mallows soften, about 3 minutes. Set bowl with mixture over simmering water again. Using handheld electric mixer, beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Scrape topping onto cheesecake. Using offset metal spatula, spread topping to edges of cake, swirling decoratively. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes. Using kitchen torch, lightly brown topping in spots. (Or preheat broiler; place cake at least 4 inches from heat source and broil just until topping is lightly browned in spots, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes.) Chill cake uncovered until cold.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep chilled.
Cut around pan sides again; remove pan sides. Place cake on platter.
Mix raspberries and blueberries in medium bowl. Cut cake into wedges. Serve berries alongside.
The raspberry flavor lends a nice summertime feeling to this dessert, but since the recipe calls for frozen raspberries, it can be made year-round. Leftover raspberry puree is delicious in club soda with a squeeze of lime. 12 servings
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies, coarsely broken
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed, juices reserved
6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
4 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1⅓ cups sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extractWhite chocolate curls (optional)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Place cookies in processor and blend until coarse crumbs form. Add melted butter and process until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 8 minutes; cool in pan on rack. Maintain oven temperature.
Press raspberries with juices through fine strainer into small bowl; discard seeds in strainer. Measure ½ cup puree to use for filling (reserve remaining puree for another use). Stir white chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until just melted and smooth.
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in flour, then beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in whipping cream and vanilla. Transfer 2¼ cups batter to medium bowl; stir in melted white chocolate. Stir reserved ½ cup raspberry puree and almond extract into remaining batter in large bowl.
Pour raspberry batter into prepared crust. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until raspberry filling is softly set in center and beginning to puff at edges, about 50 minutes. Remove roasting pan from oven; let raspberry layer cool 5 minutes to firm slightly.
Starting at edge of pan, spoon white chocolate batter in concentric circles onto raspberry layer. Smooth top. Bake cake until white chocolate filling is set in center, about 30 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and remove foil from pan sides. Chill hot cake uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead; cover and keep chilled.
Cut around pan sides to loosen cheesecake; remove pan sides. Garnish cheesecake with white chocolate curls, if desired.
Just because it has pumpkin in the filling and marshmallows on the top, don’t relegate this amazing cheesecake to just one month out of the year—friends and family will give thanks any time you make it. The sour cream in the topping provides excellent balance to the sweet marshmallows. 12 servings
CrustNonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1 cup pecans
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping
2 cups mini marshmallows or large marshmallows cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Blend cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ginger in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add melted butter; using on/off turns, process until crumbs stick together. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
FILLING: Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust.