Cheesecake.  Who doesn’t love cheesecake?  I know they are so 70’s but who gives a damn?  They are one of life’s great pleasures.

Not long ago, Creative Gourmet frozen berries were on special at our local supermarket so we bought quite a few packets and stashed them in the freezer.  Each time I took the berries out of the freezer to have a healthy breakfast of berries and yoghurt, a totally decadent picture of this blueberry swirl cheesecake would taunt me.  Eventually, I gave in.  ‘Ok, Ok. I will make you,’ I said to the stunning photo on the packet. My photo is not the best.  It does not do the cheesecake justice.  If you have flair and can swirl the blueberries artistically over the top of the cheese cake, it could look very grand.  Mine, on the other hand, had a decidedly rustic look.

Because there is no way Maus and I could eat a whole cheesecake, I opted to make it when Em, Colin and Colette came to lunch.

When Em arrived, she had a wee premature Christmas present for me.  Do you like cheesecakes?” she asked.   “Yes,” I said, as I opened the parcel.  “That is what we are having for dessert.”  The present was a cookbook on cheesecakes!!  Fate.

The Creative Gourmet berries packet indicated that this is a recipe by Donna Hay from the Donna Hay Magazine.

Ingredients:

Blueberry Coulis:

• 300g blueberries (frozen is fine)
• ¼ cup caster sugar

Base:

• 110g plain sweet biscuits.  Maus bought Marie biscuits and ate the balance of the packet before I could blink.
• 45g butter, melted

Filling:

• 600g cream cheese at room temperature
• 180g sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until thick.
3. Process the blueberries in a food processor then press through a sieve. Set aside to cool.
4. Process the biscuits in a food processor until crushed.
5. Add the butter and process until combined.
6. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a greased 22cm springform tin lined with baking paper.  Refrigerate until set.
   You can do up to this stage the day before baking the cheesecake.
7. Preheat oven to 140°C.
8. Process the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth.
9. Add the sour cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla and process until combined and smooth.
10. Pour the cheese mixture over the base.
11. Drizzle the blueberry mixture over the cheesecake and swirl it into the cheese filling with a knife. I got carried away doing this.  I think, in retrospect, you are better off drizzling all the coulis over the cheese cake before you start to swirl. I really made a mess of the swirling.
12. Bake the cheesecake  for 1 hour.
13. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour.
14. Refrigerate and serve cold.