Red, White, and Blueberry

Photo taken by Dan Farrington

Happy 4th of July!  Here is a perfect summer recipe for scrumptious lemon cheesecake squares with blueberry sauce that I made while visiting the Louisburg Farringtons this weekend.  I adapted two different recipes from epicurious.com (links below.)  So, Dan does not like a.) lemon desserts, b.) blueberries, nor c.) cheesecake.  However, he was a fan of these!  The lemon taste is light and the fresh blueberry sauce is not overpowering in it's blueberry-ness.  The squares are easy too... the filling is not thick so it bakes quickly and is fuss-free (ie. no water bath).  The most labor intensive part was pushing the blueberry sauce through a mesh strainer.  You don't even need to do that... you can leave the sauce a little chunky or puree it in a blender.  Lemons and blueberries are the ultimate pair, but another good citrus/berry combo to substitute might be lime and strawberries.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Crust:

9 whole graham crackers
5 tablespoons butter

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberry Sauce (Recipe follows)
Fresh blueberries

For crust:


Preheat oven to 350°F. Fold 16-inch long piece of foil to 8x16-inch strip; place in 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Butter foil.
Place graham crackers in heavy-duty plastic bag. Using rolling pin or mallet, crush crackers finely. Melt butter in medium skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; add crumbs and toss to coat. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust while preparing filling.
For filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and sour cream, then lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla. Spread batter over crust.

Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed and set in center, about 30 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack. Chill cheesecake until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
Using foil overhang as aid, lift cheesecake from pan. Cut into 9 squares; arrange on platter. Chill until ready to serve, up to 3 hours. Serve chilled topped with warmed blueberry sauce and a few fresh berries.


Blueberry Sauce

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Simmer on low and stir often until berries pop (about 10 min.) Cook on low simmer for about 8 more minutes, stirring often.
Let cool slightly.  Strain/push into bowl using a fine mesh strainer and wooden spoon. (Or puree until smooth in blender.) Warm in microwave or on stove for serving.


 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Cheesecake-Squares-with-Fresh-Berries-353837

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Blueberry-Compote-101038.