Blackberry Peach Cheesecake
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
Crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
Cake Batter:
2 Tbsp. butter
6 medium sized peaches, peeled, stoned and cut into 3/4" chunks
2 pints of fresh blackberries, washed
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 lbs. softened (room temperature) cream cheese
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
4 each large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 250° F.
Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in a large sauté pan
When the butter is hot...add the peach chunks and cook until hot...add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Remove half of the peaches and all but 2 - 3 Tbsp. of the sauce, purée until smooth.
Add the blackberries to the pan and cook until the berries just begin to break down.
Remove from the heat and cool.
Place the cream cheese (it is very important that the cream cheese is at room temperature), vanilla, lemon juice and sugar into a large bowl and mix well until the cream cheese is smooth.
Add the eggs and beat until the eggs are incorporated and a creamy consistency is achieved (do not over beat...this will cause the cake to be tough).
Add the puréed peaches to the batter and mix until fully incorporated.
Fold in the remaining chunks of peaches and blackberries (once again...do not over mix this...you want some of the berries to be whole).
Pour the batter into the pan with the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
Tap the cake on a counter top to remove any air bubbles in the cake.
Wrap the cake pan in foil and place the cake into a large roasting pan and then into a preheated 250° oven.
Pour very hot water into the roasting pan about half way up the cake pan.
Bake for approx. two hours. Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute.
Close the door and leave the cheesecake in the oven until the oven is cool.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool over night (or at least four hours).
When cool, slide a knife around the sides of the pan before you release the spring.
