Blueberry Pie Cheesecake

 Prep Time : 30 Minutes | Cook Time : 1 Hour | Total Time : 6 Hours | Difficulty : Easy

Everywhere I turn there are blueberries! On the internet that is – it’s mid-winter here in the southern hemisphere so the only place to find blueberries is in the freezer! But that shouldn’t stop you from being able to enjoy a decadent flavourful blueberry treat right? You can use fresh or frozen blueberries to top this creamy dreamy cheesecake so there really isn’t anything stopping you.

I had been meaning to make cheesecake bars for you for a long time and when the blueberry topping fell into place it was go time. Somehow though I ended up with a whole cheesecake. I suspect I subconsciously didn’t scale the cheesecake filling properly on purpose but it’s a bit late to worry about that now… This is also an excellent base cheesecake recipe that you can dress up however you like – and you will probably see it here again with different variations in the future. Life’s too short to scrimp on cheesecake.

Because I was kidding myself that I was making bars, I used a 9 inch square pan for this. I have a magical one that is made of two pieces that slide together so gooey or delicate things can be extracted easily. A 9 inch round spring-form pan is also an excellent choice. Line the base and sides with baking paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 160C (320F).

Crush the biscuits/graham crackers however you wish – the food processor is faster but the rolling pin is more satisfying… Melt the butter and mix thoroughly with the crushed biscuits. Press the mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Pop the base into the freezer to firm up while you make the filling.

To make the filling have all the ingredients at room temperature. If you forgot to get them out of the fridge early enough you are not alone. fill a baking dish or the sink with a couple of inches of water and stand the pottles of cream cheese and sour cream and the eggs in there for about 15 minutes.

You can use a mixer or a whisk for this. We are going to do everything at a very low speed to avoid incorporating too much air into the mix. If there’s lots of air in the filling it can rise then collapse during baking which contributes to cracking. Beat the cream cheese on low (the first or second speed at the most on a mixer) until smooth and soft. Add the sour cream and beat until combined. Beat in the sugar until combined. Mix the cornstarch with the vanilla to make a paste that is more easily mixed in. Add to the mixer along with the eggs and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Pour over the chilled base and smooth the top by giving it a gentle tap on the bench.

Bake for about an hour until the cheesecake has a slight wobble in the middle. While the cheesecake is baking, make the topping. Put the blueberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and flour into a medium saucepan. stir until the berries are well coated.

Gently cook over a low heat until the liquid starts to bubble. Enough liquid will come out of the berries to make up the sauce. As it cooks it will thicken and become nice and jammy. Remove from the heat and set aside. It will thicken further as it cools.

Put the hot cheesecake on a wire rack in the tin and cover with a folded tea towel – make sure its not touching the surface anywhere! This will trap steam on top of the cheesecake and keep it soft while it cools so it doesn’t crack. Remove the towel after about 30 minutes and spread over the blueberry topping.

Leave the cheesecake to cool completely before refrigerating in the tin for at least 3 hours until firm. I know, I know – the worst part of cheesecake is the WAITING!

And yes I totally picked off that blueberry and ate it right after I took the shot. Then ate the piece. Then the one next to it.