10graham cracker sheets/rectangles, (or 1 ¼ cup crumbs)
6Tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted
¼cup(50 g) granulated sugar
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
2cup(16 oz) block style cream cheese, room temperature
½cup(100 g) granulated sugar
2large eggs, room temperature
2Tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
1teaspoonlemon zest, plus extra for garnish
1 ½cupsfresh blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, crush graham crackers into fine crumbs, about 30 seconds (you can also place graham crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with the back of a measuring cup). Add sugar and melted butter. Process until combined, about ten 1-second pulses.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until fragrant. Cool completely. Prepare the filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl if necessary. Stir in 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries.
Transfer mixture to cooled graham cracker crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup blueberries over the top.
Bake bars at 325 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 2 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 16 square bars. Garnish with fresh lemon zest and serve.
Notes
Cream cheese: Use block cream cheese for best results. It's denser and more creamy.Blueberries: Fresh berries are preferring, but you can also use frozen. Keep the blueberries frozen until ready to mix them into the cheesecake mixture.Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice from the store does not have as much flavor.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Freeze bars for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. When ready to serve, defrost in the refrigerator.