I have been quite antsy to make this cheesecake for some time.  I love all things lemon, and when I found out that our Christmas Eve dinner would be at a friend’s house, I thought, the more reason to make this!  My recipe is an adaptation of a lemon curd cheesecake recipe from epicurious.com, and I made a few changes in adding blueberries to the cheesecake batter and using less full-fat ingredients.  A bonus?  As I was taking my cooled cheesecake out of the fridge to transport to my friend’s house, I thought out loud, “Man, I wish I had me a cake plate to put this on…it’s too pretty!”  Phong’s ears perked up in the next room, and he came in, saying, “Well, it IS Christmas Eve…do you want one of your presents now?”  You don’t even need to guess my answer.  As I said, “Hell yeah!” my hubby came out with this beautiful ceramic cake plate.  I absolutely heart it, and am so excited to use it now!

Blueberry and Lemon Swirl Cheesecake

Lemon curd

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Crust:

1 1/4 cup finely ground gingersnap crumbs

1/2 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 (8-oz) packages of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup light sour cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Special equipment: 9 1/2-inch springform pan

Preparation:

Make the lemon curd (which I did the day before)

Whisk together lemon zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a small bowl.  In a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the ingredients and stir for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the butter and whisk the lemon mixture frequently, until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, and small bubbles appear on the surface, about 6-8 minutes.

Force the curd through a sieve into a shallow bowl, scraping the bottom of the sieve into the bowl.  Cover the surface with wax paper, and allow to cool completely at room temperature, stirring the lemon curd a couple of times for 30 minutes.  Place in a plastic container and refrigerate if made ahead.

Make the crust

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and 1-inch up the sides.  I find it easier to use the bottom of a creme brulee dish or rammekin cup to make the crust more even.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes.  Resist picking it apart and eating it right away.  Remove the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Make the cheesecake…woohoo!

1.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.  Fill a roasting pan about 1/2 to 1-inch full of water and place on the bottom rack.

2.  Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl (or stand-up mixer) until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.

3.  Pour the blueberries onto the cooled crust.  Pour about 1/2 of the cream cheese filling onto the blueberries and gently spread evenly throughout the pan, being careful not to scatter crust crumbs into the filling.  Spoon 1/2 of the lemon curd over the cream cheese filling, and use a small knife to swirl a marbled pattern with the cream cheese and lemon curd.  Pour the last 1/2 of the cream cheese filling over that, and repeat with the remaining curd.

4.  Bake cheesecake for about 60-65 minutes on the rack above the roasting pan containing the water bath, or until the cheesecake is set 1 1/2 inches from the edge but slightly trembly in the middle when gently shaken (Center of the cheesecake will continue to set upon cooling).  Take out the cheesecake and place on a rack.  Run a small knife along the edges of the cheesecake and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before placing in the refrigerator, uncovered, for another 4 hours.

5.  Remove the sides of the springform pan before serving.  Serves about 12-14, small slices (I can never eat a regular portion of cheesecake!).