Blueberry Cheesecake

There is nothing very complicated about this recipe, and its a good base recipe that can be adapted easily to whatever fruit is seasonal or needs eating up!  I am very fortunate to work with some lovely colleagues, who have also become firm friends and recently we all managed to actually have the same day off, something of a miracle when you work shifts! We regularly talk about and share out food on our breaks and whilst I am certainly in no way a master, I think I have promised how to teach everyone to cook!

Rems had requested to start our very relaxed and informal cookery lessons (we may have had wine...) by making blueberry cheesecake (but I also had a dream about maple and pecan – so we made both, to which the recipe will follow shortly!) In turn, and I am probably spelling this wrong she is going to teach me some of her native filipino dishes including something called Adobo, so depending on my success I hope to bring you some more exotic cooking in the future!

Meet Rems!

With cooking, there are some things you can write down but I do find practical demonstration so much more informative – with learning what to avoid, how to salvage things etc! Fortunately we had no hiccups other than eating our body weight in the cheesecake in lieu of dinner! Not the most healthiest or balanced meal but if you count the fruit its not all bad...it certainly was a delicious dinner!

Whilst I was teaching, we didn’t weigh anything as I was trying to show her things ‘by eye’ so that she would feel confident to make it again without need of weighing scales etc (our accommodation doesn’t exactly come well equipped..), fortunately I brought nearly all of mine with me so have boxes full under the bed of various gadgets!) and Rems has managed to make a fabulous looking raspberry one since then, which I hear was delicious so I must of done something right!

Blueberry Cheesecake
Easy

½ tub blueberries, washed - approx 150g
2 tbsp caster sugar
Enough choc chip digestives to fill two biscuits deep in the tin when laid out, and one for luck!
2 tbsp butter
500g mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp icing sugar, or to taste

*You will need a 20cm spring form sandwich tin*

Start by relieving some stress – place the biscuits in a sealable food bag and use a blunt implement reduce it to crumbs. A rolling pin, jar etc are ideal.

Melt approximately 2 tbsp of butter and stir into the crumbs, it should be enough to make the biscuit crumbs look a little glossy and sort of stick together when pressed. Tip into your cake tin (lined with baking paper but not essential) and firmly but gently press into and smooth over using a metal spoon. Place in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes to cool down and set.

Wash the blueberries and place in a small saucepan with the sugar, bring to a light boil and reduce to a simmer, occasionally stirring and bashing up the fruit until you have a jammy like consistency – this will take around 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly

Place the mascarpone into a large bowl and lightly beat in the icing sugar – taste a little, it should be slightly sweet but not too sweet - adjust to taste. Use this mixture to top your crumb base and smooth over, and pour over your fruit. Chill for ideally at least a couple of hours to set, or how long you can wait! It is best to wait until the next day to allow the flavours to develop.

To serve, carefully place your tin over a large jar/ upturned bowl etc and gently tap the sides, then gradually loosen, teasing down until it has come off, slide your cheesecake with fairy light touch onto a pretty plate and grab a fork! 

I've also added my cheesecake to the delicious sugar inducing coma blogger event 'Sweets for a Saturday 87"!