The price of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries has gone up quite a bit at my local market. Last month the grocer had strawberries priced at $5 (for 2 pounds), but since my family went out to a local u-pick farm I saved a ton of cash by putting my preschooler to work in the fields (kidding). At the farm we paid just $1 a pound for fresh, plump, juicy berries and I still have a pint left in the freezer.
This weekend I will be using the last of the berries in the following recipe. It is a standard cheesecake, but it has a wonderful berry glaze that makes it the perfect chilled seasonal treat on a hot summer day.
I will miss seeing those berries in my freezer (they were a symbol of summer to me), but I can take solace in the fact that they will be used in a dessert worthy of their presence.
VERY BERRY CHEESECAKE
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
Filling:
2 packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese
2 cups (16 ounces) Ricotta cheese, drained
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup flour
6 egg whites
Berry Glaze:
1 pint strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Garnish:
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For Crust: Combine crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended. Press onto bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Chill while preparing filling.
For Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and Ricotta cheese until smooth; add sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in egg yolks. Gradually blend in flour. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into cheese mixture. Pour into pan.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours; then turn off heat, open oven door and let cool in oven to room temperature. Refrigerate cheesecake before adding berry glaze.
For Berry Glaze: Mash 1/2 cup of the strawberries. Place in saucepan with sugar, 1/2 cup water and lemon juice; bring to boil. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add to strawberry mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens; remove from heat and cool.
Glaze chilled cheesecake and top with remaining berries.
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