KNEADER'S 4TH OF JULY CHEESECAKE RECIPE - (4/5)

Kneader's 4th of July Cheesecake Recipe - (4/5) image

Provided by bloomysgirl

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
cheesecake:
4 8oz Cream Cheese (room temp)
4 extra large eggs (room temp)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar divided
1 Tablespoons vanilla or almond
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sour cream
decorate:
Blueberries fresh
Strawberries, fresh
Blackberries, fresh
Raspberries, fresh
Powdered Sugar

Steps:

Crust: 1. Combine all ingredients. 2. Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter the bottom and the sides of a ½ sheet pan ( 13 inches by 18 inches rimmed) 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool. Cheesecake: 1. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy. Cream the cream cheese one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each use, until all has been added. 2. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the heavy cream and sour cream just until completely blended. Be careful not to over mix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust. 3. Place a dripper pan of hot water on the lower rack of the oven. Place cheesecake on the upper rack that is in the middle of the oven. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan about 55-60 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Don't move it. Let it set up. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight. Decorate: 1. Using a wet knife cut cheesecake into 48 squares (6 down and 8 across). Carefully lift squares out , decorate, and put carefully onto serving platter. 2. Decorate 4 squares across and 3 squares down with blueberries and blackberries. Starting with the top row first, decorate with raspberries lined up edge to edge. Decorate ever other row with raspberries. 3. Take out the second row, dust with powdered sugar. Decorate with strawberries that have been cut in half and dusted with powdered sugar. Replace and add strawberries that have been dusted with powdered sugar. Alternate down the rows of the flag.