This
is year #10 that I’ve baked a cheesecake for Easter and it was one of my
favorites! I try to make a different flavor each year (minus the first two
years…)
For
recipes, click the year: 2008
& 2009 Apple Caramel, 2010 Amaretto,
2011 Dark
Chocolate Raspberry, 2012 Chocolate
Peanut Butter, 2013
Pumpkin Spice Latte, 2014
Carrot Cake Cheesecake, 2015
Chocolate Baileys, 2016
Almond Joy
We
went blueberry picking last weekend at Starkey Farms in New Port Richey and
came home with over 2 pounds of berries. So this year, I did a white chocolate
blueberry cheesecake.
The
recipe I followed used a pre-made pie crust, but I did a homemade crust instead
which turned out great. My only
complaint about this cake was that I wish there was more. It was pretty thin,
so if I make it again I’d double the filling for a thicker cheesecake.
Lance
and I hosted Easter at our house. We had 16 people and it was amazing! We did
it potluck style so we ended up with lots of food. The cheesecake was devoured.
Lance’s
mom always makes bunny-shaped pears for Easter.
She also made a family recipe of candied bacon and a corn casserole. We
also had fruit, mac & cheese, two different egg casseroles, and pineapple
bread pudding.
Lance
made crockpot maple sugar ham and it was so easy (recipe
here). The ham was so big we had to
split it between two crock pots though. All you do is rub the outside in brown
sugar, put it cut side down, and cover it in pineapple juice and maple syrup.
Cook it 4 hours and every hour baste it with the juices.
We
did a DIY mimosa bar with cranberry, orange mango, and grapefruit juice along
with raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I found cute tags for the
juices from the Target dollar section.
We
used the chevron runners and vases from our wedding and bought tulips &
daisies from Trader Joe’s (love their flowers).
We
had a really great Easter. Hope you all spent the day with people you love!
White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake (adapted
from Cooking
Classy)
Crust Ingredients:
·
10
full sheets of cinnamon graham crackers
·
6
Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
·
1/3
cup granulated sugar
Filling Ingredients:
·
1
Tbsp granulated sugar
·
1
1/2 tsp cornstarch
·
1/2
cup cold water
·
1
1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
·
2
tsp lemon juice
·
12
oz. cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 pkg.)
·
1/3
cup granulated sugar
·
1
egg
·
1
egg white
·
1
tsp vanilla extract
·
1/2
Tbsp lemon juice
·
1
cup white chocolate chips (vanilla chips)
·
1/4
cup heavy whipping cream
·
About
1/2 cup more blueberries for garnish
Directions:
1.
Preheat the oven to 300.
2.
Grind graham crackers in a food processer, Mix with the melted butter and 1/3
cup sugar. Spray the bottom of your cheesecake pan with cooking spray (I use
Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray) and press the graham cracker mixture firmly to
the bottom with some going up the sides of the pan.
3.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool.
4.
Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
6.
In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 Tbsp sugar and cornstarch until well
blended. Stir in cold water, blueberries and 2 tsp lemon juice. Cook over
medium heat whisking often until mixture begins to boil lightly. Boil 30
seconds whisking constantly.
7.
Remove from heat and force mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (to
remove blueberry skins), set mixture aside.
8.
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and
granulated sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg and egg white. Add
vanilla and lemon juice. Set mixture aside.
9.
Combine white chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave
mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until
chocolate is melted and smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture to cream cheese
mixture and blend until smooth.
10.
Pour 2/3 cup cheesecake mixture into the graham cracker crust and spread evenly
over bottom. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp blueberry sauce. Slowly ladle remaining
cheesecake mixture over the drizzled blueberry sauce, covering all of the
blueberry sauce. Carefully giggle the pan to even out the top.
11.
Drizzle 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp blueberry sauce over top (reserve remaining blueberry
sauce in refrigerator). Take a knife and swirl it through the cheesecake to
marble blueberry sauce.
12.
Bake cheesecake in center of the oven for 40 minutes, then turn oven off and
leave cheesecake in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to
cool.
Add blueberries to the top for garnish, then refrigerate cheesecake for 6
hours, until set. Serve slices with remaining blueberry sauce (we actually
forgot to serve ours with the sauce).
Happy
Easter!