Sunday, May 20, 2007

The wonderful world of cheesecakes...

Wee! 11 new recipes this past week - the standouts for us were the Northwest Waldorf Salad, Sausage and Pepper Calzones, and the Tropical Banana Cream Muffins. I can't believe how fast summer is approaching... just a couple more weeks and it will be June already! The bigger farmer's market opened last weekend, but we've just been too busy to check it out - we hope to make a visit next weekend though if time allows!

I've mentioned before that I have a fairly large stash of wild blueberries in the freezer as I have some everyday with yogurt. I'm trying to make a dent in my supply, so I've been searching through my endless (it seems anyways!) piles of recipes and found this Blueberry Cheesecake that I set aside some time ago to make. I always wonder why I don't make large cheesecakes more often when I finally get around to putting one together, but I think it seems like more of a hassle than it really is. We've done several cheesecake bars or individual ones, but I think I've only posted two large cheesecakes we've made. I went through the archives to see which two they were and fondly remembered the Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake with Oreo Crust



and of course the Caramel Swirl-and-Apple Cheesecake.

Now that I've veered off course, let's get back to this recipe! Instead of a full graham cracker base, this one uses half graham cracker and half vanilla wafers to add of punch of flavor to the crust. The filling is just a basic cream cheese batter, but what makes this one very special is a homemade smooth blueberry sauce that is swirled into the top of the very pale yellow batter. I opted to bake this cheesecake in a water bath to ensure a smooth top, but you don't have to be as fussy as there is a topping that gets applied and will cover any cracks that may happen. When the cheesecake is firm, but still has lovely jiggle in the center when the pan is touched, a mixture of vanilla-scented sweetened sour cream is spread over the hot cheesecake. It is placed back in the oven just long enough so the two meld together. I made this yesterday, for dessert tonight, because the cheesecake needs to cool to room temperature and then must be chilled for at least 8 hours - don't skimp as the flavors need that time to develop.

Remember that homemade blueberry sauce? A portion of that thick dark blue mixture is reheated, sweetened and thinned out with just a bit of water to make a mouthwatering blueberry drizzle for each individual slice. For some juicy texture, whole blueberries are gently folded into the sauce once it has thickened back up. The cheesecake itself has a dense, just luscious creamy filling that is set on a buttery, crisp vanilla crust. Besides adding a charming color to the plain cheesecake, the blueberry swirls added a fruity sweetness that held up against the tangy sour cream topping.

Can I tempt you into sharing a slice with me?


16 comments:

  1. Joe, I made some cheesecake treats, too. Yours look so professional! I like the idea of mixing graham crackers and vanilla wafers.

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  2. OH goodness. That looks SO good! When we get blueberries around here (they are still like $4 for one of those really flat inch tall containers with only around 1/2 cup in it) I hope I'll get to try this. I haven't had a cheese cake with the sour cream topping on it and have always thought that I wouldn't like that. Do you think this would be do-able without that? or is it one of those must-haves?!

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  3. I'll trade you a slice of chocolate peanut butter pie for some blueberry cheesecake. Looks divine.

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  4. Beautiful photos, you don't have to twist my arm to agree to a slice or three of that cheesecake!

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  5. oh my! you can certainly tempt me! I'm about 10 hours away - I guess if I left now I could be there for lunch! What a yummy looking cake!!

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  6. Purple is my favorite color, cheesecake is a favorite food -- the best of both worlds. Looks awesome. We don't get decent blueberries down in Texas. The cheesecake looks like a perfect consistency.

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  7. That looks so yummy. I love blueberries and love cheesecake so how could it be bad!

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  8. That looks amazing - in fact, all of them look amazing!!!

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  9. OMG! That purple is so vivid and vibrant! That is one beautiful slice of heaven! This is definitely going on my list of to-do recipes. Jeff is the luckiest guy on earth! He gets to eat one delectable home made dish after another, everyday!! :Sigh: wish I lived next door to you guys........I'm turning a vivid green now :)

    Mary.

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  10. OMG Joe!!! I just drooled! Your cheesecake looks AMAZING!!!!
    My husband loves cheesecake and I absolutely love blueberries... I will certainly make this recipe soon, it will make both of us happy for sure!
    Ana

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  11. All three cheesecakes look wonderful, but that violet tinting the cheesecake and the deep purple sauce look really fabulous.

    No twisting of arms needed here either!

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  12. Oh my goodness!!!! That looks so good... my two favorite things, blueberries and cheesecake!

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  13. Wow, Wow, and WOW! I think I just gained 10 pounds reading through this post. I would love to have that blueberry goodness with my dinner this evening.

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  14. Cyndi - I like the combo too, it added just a little something extra special.

    Claire - it should be okay, but I liked the twang it gave!

    Alysha - Sold!

    Brilynn - Thanks!

    Miche - Well, it is all gone - but I sure wouldn't mind making another if you are comin'!

    Anj - Thank you!

    Tammy - Exactly!

    Deborah - Thanks!

    Mary - We like to share, so we often bring things over to the neighbors!

    Ana - Let me know what you think if you make it!

    Kelly-Jane - I loved how the color was so striking against the light cheesecake!

    Michele - mine too! Well, at least for the moment!

    Chris - it is a great way to end the evening... that is for sure!

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  15. Joe - Never have blueberries appealed so much to me. I will have to try this recipe, though I have never seen fresh blueberries in New Zealand. I may have to wait until I go back to the States in Summer, so I can then make the sauce. I love the idea of mixing cookie types for the cheesecake base. All in all - yes, you can tempt me into sharing a piece with you; it looks too good to miss.

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  16. Shaun - You could certainly use frozen if need be!

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