A classic cheesecake hiding under the most beautiful marbled berry topping; you’ll have a hard time keeping these around. Made with Pamela’s Honey Graham Crackers.
- 1 (7.5 oz) box Pamela’s Honey Graham Crackers
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted FOR THE BLACKBERRY PUREE
- 6 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water FOR THE CHEESECAKE
- 16 ounces cream cheese (not whipped), room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Meyer lemon zest
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs, large, room temperature
- ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Yield:
TO MAKE THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray well a 9 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a food processor, pulse the Honey Grahams until a fine crumb forms; add sugar and pulse to mix; add melted butter and process until well blended. Pour into pan and pat crumbs into the bottom, pressing firmly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until starting to brown. Cool on rack.
TO MAKE THE BLACKBERRY PUREE: Mix together the blackberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until blackberries are completely broken down. Set a fine strainer over a small bowl. Using a rubber spatula, press blackberries through the strainer, retaining all the puree and juices, and discarding the pulp that remains. Puree should have the consistency of maple syrup. If too thin, simmer for an additional minute until thickened. Set aside to cool.
TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE: Preheat oven to 325°. To prepare for the water bath, heat water to boiling in tea kettle.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese with sugar and lemon zest until very creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add sour cream and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and whip well after each addition, scraping down the bowl as needed. Finally, add Meyer lemon juice and salt and mix well.
Pour cheesecake filling over crust and smooth the top with a rubber or silicone spatula. Drizzle the blackberry puree over the top in a zig zag pattern, leaving white spaces visible. There might be puree left over. Drag a skewer, chopstick, or butter knife back and forth across the lines of puree to create the marbled pattern.
Bake cheesecake in a water bath to cook it gently. To do this, place cheesecake pan into another shallow pan large enough to hold the smaller pan with room all around it, with no sides touching each other. Set the pans in the oven. Carefully pour the hot water from the teakettle into the larger pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. Bake for about 75 minutes, or until center of cheesecake wobbles only slightly. Remove cheesecake pan from water bath; cool on wire rack for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to completely chill it before cutting and serving.
To serve, cut cheesecake neatly into squares, wiping knife between cuts so that it stays clean.
© Pamela's Products, Inc.