Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Place cookies into bowl of a food processor. Pulse cookies until crushed into fine crumbs. (about 1-1/4 cups) Add butter. Pulse several times to combine ingredients. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom a 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake 5-10 minutes or until crust is firm and fragrant. Set aside for crust to cool completely.

Step 3: Place cream cheese into bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, pausing to scrape beater and sides of bowl frequently with rubber spatula. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula after each addition.

Step 4: Bring a large pot of water to a boil while continuing with recipe. Wrap outside of spring-form pan with three layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil while making sure foil reaches top of pan and does not tear.

Step 5: Pour half of batter into spring-form pan. Add 1 package raspberries in a single layer. Press raspberries slightly into batter. Pour remaining batter over raspberries, making sure berries are completely covered.

Step 6: Place spring-form into a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan into oven. Pour boiling water carefully into roasting pan until water is halfway up side of spring-form pan, making sure no water spills into spring-form pan.

Step 7: Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until cheesecake is just barely set in center. Remove spring-form pan carefully from roasting pan. Allow cheesecake to cool several hours on a wire rack. Place cheesecake in refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step 8: Place shortening into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat shortening in microwave on medium power until just melted. Do not overheat. Add chocolate chips. Stir to combine ingredients. Repeat heating and stirring in short increments until chocolate is melted and completely smooth. Do not overheat.

Step 9: Line an 8-inch x 4-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil. Pour melted chocolate mixture into lined pan. Place chocolate mixture into refrigerator to cool and set for several hours or overnight. Unmold chocolate from loaf pan. Remove aluminum foil from chocolate. Shave chocolate curls with vegetable peeler directly onto cheesecake. Garnish cheesecake with remaining raspberries.