Somebody nice's Blue Ribbon White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake
Oven: 325 degrees F
Crust:
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 T sugar
Wrap the outside of a springform pan tightly with several layers of aluminum foil.* Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir together until well mixed, and then pat onto the sides and bottom of a springform pan. After the crust is patted down inside the pan, place the pan in the freezer for at least ten minutes while you are preparing the rest of the recipe.
Filling:
6 ounces white chocolate (I use the baker's chocolate squares)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract (I personally hate almond flavoring so I omitted it)
4 eggs
1 cup white chocolate morsels
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Topping:
1.5 cups dairy sour cream
2 T sugar, or more to taste
Sieved blueberry jam, about half a cup. I foolishly prepared this with a tea strainer and it took me like 20 minutes.
Make filling:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place 6 ounces of white chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat cream until it comes to a gentle boil. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let stand 3 minutes. Stir well until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool white chocolate mixture until tepid. You can also microwave it at low power (defrost setting) until the mixture is smooth.
In a large bowl, beat cream chese on medium-low speed until creamy and free of lumps, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and gradually add sugar. Mix in vanilla extract. Mix in white chocolate mixture until just combined. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, being careful not to overbeat.
Remove your springform pan with the crust inside from freezer. Sprinkle white chocolate morsels and blueberries evenly over the crust. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Put baking pan into a larger roasting pan and fill the outer pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform cake pan. Bake for 55 minutes until top of cake is set except in the very center. Remove cake from water bath and immediately run a thin bladed knife around edge of cake. Place springform pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Topping:
In a small bowl, blend the sugar and sour cream and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffly. Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, spread the filling over the top to within 1/2" of the edges.
Take a large spoon and stir the sieved jam until smooth. Gently drop large spoonfuls of the sieved jam on top of the cake, and then lightly draw a butter knife through the center to make a heart shape.
Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. I would like to try doubling the recipe to make a taller cake, like the ones they have at the Cheesecake Factory. This recipe produces a cake that is probably less than two inches high, not super impressive in terms of height, but it's very rich and delicious.
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* If water leaks in then it will ruin everything and you will cry bitter, bitter tears. Williams-Sonoma has a $42 leakproof springform pan, I might get one of those.