My favorite cheesecake is a simple lemon flavored one. I've modified it to make this equally delicious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake studded with blueberries and topped with a fresh blueberry sauce.
I have had it in my mind to make my favorite Lemon Cheesecake for some time now. The photos are only OK and could stand a redo but let's be honest, I just need that as an excuse; I love that cheesecake. But as luck would have it, instead I ended up making a version of it with this Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake and it was a good move!
I'm not one to fuss with cheesecakes much; I like them simpler rather than filled with candy or any other assortment of goodies. Give me my lemon one and some fresh strawberries and I'm good to go. But sometimes events call for me to punt and recently it was my friend Sherry's birthday and I know she loves lemon and blueberries.
I try to make a celebration dessert for my neighbors when it's their birthday. Sherry's husband Sam isn't picky so I've made a variety of cakes when it's his birthday, another neighbor Casey got this amazing Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Casey's wife Amy, who tries to avoid gluten always gets Rice Krispie Treats...she's loved them forever.
Amy even had a wedding cake made with them years before she realized gluten was an issue, so I most recently make her these Chocolate Mint Rice Krispie Treats.
To be honest I wanted to do something like this for Sherry last year but ran out of time and did a quicker but similar dessert, this Lemon Cream Pie with Blueberries. We loved it but I wanted to try something different this year; If you tell me you like lemon and blueberries, I'm going to combine them together, whether pie or cheesecake.
Hmm, maybe next year I should try a lemon cake with blueberries and a lemon frosting!
Was it a hit? Well depends on what signifies a hit and who you ask. Sherry has a set of thirteen year old twin girls. I know, I know...let's send her condolences; one at a time is tough enough isn't it! So I asked them how they liked it. One mumbles 'fine,' her livelier sister says it was great, and then Sherry hits the jackpot with 'Fantastic!'
Lesson here? Do not ask thirteen year old girls their impression of a dessert when their faces are buried in their phones. Too bad Dad was out of town, I can always count on him to be one of my biggest supporters. He's like Mikey...he likes everything!
And it really was fantastic; the same luscious cheesecake with what I think is the perfect texture dotted with fresh blueberries and finished with a delicious blueberry topping. I was sad when I had the very last bite.
One thing of note with this dessert. I know that much can be made of cracks in cheesecake and there are myriad ways to try and avoid them. What's lovely about a fruit topping like this one? Who sees a crack?
I noticed that there was potential but I've learned that if I leave them in the oven after they bake with the door open for a bit it helps. The air escapes and they cool down more slowly and that can be important. I do not leave them overnight, I give them an hour or two depending on my schedule and then move on. Honestly with this topping, you could even eliminate that slow cool down period.
Some people bake their cheesecakes immersed in water to try and maintain an overall more regulated temperature and avoid cracks but again, with a topping you need not bother...blueberries to the rescue.
There is nothing too fancy about this dessert and there are no ingredients that are difficult to find. But that does not equate to this not being one of the most stellar desserts I've made in awhile. Happy Birthday Sherry; thanks for letting me make something we both loved!
PIN IT! 'Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake'
