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I love color. Bright bright bright natural hues just make me happy. And in desserts, berries can add that extra punch of both color and flavor for an over-the-top indulgence. Take the simple cheesecake, for instance. Perfect in its own right, with just a little lemon zest for brightness. But with piles of berries dripping down the sides and syrup added to the cake itself, the whole thing says "PINK" in a blinking neon sign. With the chocolate crust the cheesecake takes on a deeper, richer, more decadent flavor. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
2 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs, such as the cookie part of Oreos (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Cake:
32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup white sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the berry syrup
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the Crust:
2 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs, such as the cookie part of Oreos (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Cake:
32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup white sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the berry syrup
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Grease a 9 inch springform pan. Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in the center of the oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the Cake:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, place the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate after each addition. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract, rose water, and 3/4 cup of the berry syrup. Beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wobbly. Remover the cake from the oven and drag a knife around the edge (circumference) of the cake to loosen it from the spring form (this also prevents cracking). The cake will be a little brown on top with a mauve-y purple-pink hue underneath.
Let it cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night to let the cake set and flavors deepen.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional, though I think it adds a lovely floral note)
1 tablespoon Chambord
1/2 pint blueberries
1/2 pint blackberries
1 pint raspberries
1 pint strawberries
Directions:
Grease a 9 inch springform pan. Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in the center of the oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the Cake:
Combine all of the berries, Chambord, 1/4 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir for 10 minutes, until the mixture has become extremely liquid and reduced a little. Strain the mixture, reserving both the syrup and the cooked berries.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, place the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate after each addition. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract, rose water, and 3/4 cup of the berry syrup. Beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wobbly. Remover the cake from the oven and drag a knife around the edge (circumference) of the cake to loosen it from the spring form (this also prevents cracking). The cake will be a little brown on top with a mauve-y purple-pink hue underneath.
Let it cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night to let the cake set and flavors deepen.
The next day, take the remaining berries and syrup and pile it on top of the cake. Using a small spatula, cover the sides in the syrup and cooked berries as well. Serve and Enjoy!
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