REFRIGERATOR CHEESECAKE WITH BLUEBERRY TOPPING

REFRIGERATOR CHEESECAKE WITH BLUEBERRY TOPPING image

Categories Berry

Yield 8-12

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Crust:
1 c graham cracker crumbs (about 6-8 double crackers)
3 T sugar
4 T butter, melted
Filling
1 envelop unflavored gelatin (1 T)
1/4 c cold water
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 c whole milk
2T fresh lemon juice
1 c heavy cream
Blueberry topping
2 pints blueberries
1 c water
3/4 c sugar
3 T corn starch
pinch of salt

Steps:

For crust, preheat oven to 350. In Food processor, pulse crackers and sugar till fine crumbs, add melted butter and pulse a few more times til it forms some clumps. Pat mixture on bottom of 9" spring form pan, bake for 8" or till edges are slightly browned. Set aside to cool For filling, soften gelatin in water for about 5", then heat in microwave for about 15-20seconds till the mixture is smooth, then cool. Wipe the food processor bowl with a paper towel to get rid of any leftover crumbs (no need to wash). Put cream cheese, sugar, and milk in and pulse 10X, scrape bowl and process for a minute, scrape again and with the machine running, add lemon juice and gelatin mixture , process till it's completely smooth. In a separate bowl ( I use my kitchenaid mixer) whip cream till soft peaks form. Add 1/2 of the mixture from Food Proc to cream, fold gently to combine, then add the rest and continue folding till it's well incorporated. Pour on top of crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Make topping by picking out some of the less attractive berries to make 1 pint, combine with water and sugar and bring to boil in saucepan. Boil for a couple of minutes, using a spatula to crush the berries as they cook. In the meantime, combine cornstarch with 3 T water to make a slurry. When the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, stir in the starch mixture and bring back to boil, stirring constantly till it's thick. Remove from heat and wait a minute, add 1 pint fresh berries, mix well and refrigerate. When ready to serve, you can place the berry topping on top of the cheesecake, pressing down slightly to make a flat layer. Use a long strand of dental floss to cut into slices and serve. Alternatively, you can slice the cheesecake by itself, and serve the blueberries on top and on the side.