Green Tea Cheesecake with Raspberries and Raspberry-Mint Tisane

Ingredients

• 16 ounce cream cheese room temperature (do not use whipped or "light" products)
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 bunch mint leaves fresh
• 0.5 cup lillet blanc packed ()
• 1 pint golden kiwi fresh
• 1 pint raspberries fresh red
• 0.8 cup sugar 
• 2 teaspoons ginger tea bags green finely
• 8 servings water boiling

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• hand mixer
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• springform pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Press cookie crumbs firmly onto bottom (not sides) of 8-inch-diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, fromage blanc, and sugar in large bowl until smooth.
2. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in green tea powder until smooth.
3. Pour batter over prepared crust in pan.
4. Place cakein roasting pan; add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
5. Bake cake until set but center moves very slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour.
6. Remove cake from roasting pan; cool 1 hour at room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
7. Place 5 raspberries (mix of red and golden) and 3 mint leaves in each of 8 heatproof glasses. Fill glasses with boiling water; let steep 5 minutes.
8. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove sides.
9. Place cake on platter.
10. Garnish cake with some raspberries.
11. Cut cake into wedges.
12. Serve each piece with a few raspberries and a glass of tisane.
13. *Fromage blanc is available at some supermarkets, cheese stores, and specialty foods stores.
14. **Green tea powder is available at Japanese markets.
15. The tisane doesn't really need sweetening, but serving it with rock candy swizzle sticks (available at candy stores and candyeveryday.com) adds a touch of whimsy.