Blackberry Cheesecake Wedges

Ingredients:

For blackberry sauce:

• 2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen )

• 1 Tbl sugar

• 1 Tbl lemon juice

For crust:

• About 20 small squares of graham crackers (crushed )

• 4 Tbl melted butter

For cheesecake filling:

• 2-8oz. blocks cream cheese ( room temperature )

• 1/3 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yoghurt ( room temperature )

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs ( room temperature )

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• about 1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, cook the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice on medium-high heat until they break down and release their juices. Cook until some of the juices evaporate.

2. Press the blackberry mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds and skin.

3. Return the blackberry juices to the saucepan and cook them further until thickened. Remove from heat and cool completely.

4. In the meantime preheat your oven to 350F.

5. Mix together the crushed graham crackers and melted butter ( the mixture should be a wet sand consistency- add more melted butter if needed) then press the mixture into the round springform pan. I use the bottom of my measuring cup to level the mixture.

6. Bake at 359 F for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool .

7. Reduce the oven temperature to 285ºF

8. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix cream cheese and sour cream on the lowest speed, just until smooth.

9. Add the sugar and cornstarch, and mix until combined.

10. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

11. Add vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
    Note* If you don’t want your cheesecake to crack, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature and don’t over mix it.

12. Add 1 Tbl of the cheesecake mixture into the cooled blackberry sauce. Stir to combine. Set aside.

13. Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly on top of the cooled crust.

14. Gently spoon the blackberry sauce on top of the cheesecake mixture. Use a skewer or toothpick to swirl it around.

15. Place the fresh blackberries on top.

16. Bake at 285ºF for about 30 minutes, or until the middle is still slightly wobbly when you shake the baking tin.

17. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in the turned-off oven with the oven door half open.

18. Move cooled cheesecake to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least an hour or preferably overnight.