These days, I have a soft spot for recipes that make the kitchen feel welcoming, and Blackberry Cheesecake Squares does exactly that. A dessert like this is exactly why I always save room for something sweet. There is something comforting about letting the oven take over while the table comes together.
Ingredients
Crust
- 12 ounce Graham crackers
- 1/2 cup pecan
- 12 tbs. Butter, melted
Filling
- Three 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tbs. Vanilla paste
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Topping
- 4 cups blackberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbs. Cornstarch + 1 tbs. Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a food processor add 12 ounces of graham crackers, and Pulse until it turns to half crumbs, then add the pecans and continue pulsing until it becomes finer crumbs. Add 12 tablespoons of melted butter and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture in the prepared pan and press the crumbs to the bottom of the pan and the sides.
- Make the filling: using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, then continue beating while adding the eggs one at a time, lastly add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste and 1/2 cup of sour cream and beat until combined.
- Pour the filling over the crust, smooth the top and bake for 45- 50 minutes until set. Turn off the oven crack the door and let sit for 10 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.
- Make the topping : add the blueberries, sugar and water to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat let cook for 4-5 minutes until the juices are thickened, make a slurry with the cornstarch and water add to 4 cups of blackberries and stir until thickened. Let cool on the side.
- Top the cheese cake with the blackberry topping and let cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).