Blackberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

We had a very special Father's Day, with both Grant's parents and his brother here.

We ate very well, with Grandpa's special grilled chicken, grilled zucchini, and twice baked potatoes.

Dessert.....well, if you've been reading here long, you know we love cheesecake.


Grandpa had requested a blackberry white chocolate variation for the occasion.  No problem.  I knew we wouldn't have any complaints about that!

I made a modified version of the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake that has always been a favorite, and it turned out so delicious that Grant declared that he likes the Blackberry even better.  

It's smooth and light and creamy and fluffy......one of the best cheesecake textures I've ever made.  I used a new technique of beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter.  I think it really made a difference.....I may have to try it in some other varieties just to be sure.  (wink wink).

And the blackberry sauce - amazing. Loved it, loved it, loved it.


Blackberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbs. butter, melted
4 Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar and mix well.  Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9" springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly.

Blackberry Sauce:
1 (12 oz) package frozen blackberries (or fresh if available)
5 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 cup water

In a saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. This can take awhile...strain small portions at a time and stir around in the strainer with a spoon to get all the goodness out!

Cheesecake:
2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 t. vanilla

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate chips with milk, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool partially.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Blend in vanilla and white chocolate. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold into cheesecake batter.  Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 T. blackberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan and again spoon 3 T. blackberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect. Place pan on top of a baking sheet, in case of leaks.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until filling is set.

Serve with remaining blackberry sauce and sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday and Crazy Sweet Tuesday