White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cranberry Currant Compote

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crushed chocolate wafers, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 5 tablespoons melted butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 10 1/2-inch springform pan, making sure crumbs are evenly distributed. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Stir together white chocolate and cream in a heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.

Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Add vanilla, beating until blended. Reduce speed to low, and add eggs, 2 at a time, beating just until blended and stopping to scrape down sides after each addition. (Do not overbeat.) Gradually add white chocolate mixture, beating just until blended. Pour mixture into springform pan; place springform pan on baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°, and bake 20 more minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250°, and bake 20 more minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200°, and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cake is set around sides and almost set in center.

Remove to a wire rack; run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen. (This will help prevent cracking as cake cools.) Let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 6 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with Cranberry Currant Compote.

*Remove eggs from refrigerator, and place in a bowl for 30 minutes.

Note: For testing purposes, we used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers for chocolate wafer cookies.