Katya's Kitchen

This is a very filling cheesecake recipe, can serve about 20 guest party.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 6 ounces saltine soup crackers
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Batter:

• 24 ounces cream cheese (3x 8oz packs)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brandy / cognac / liquor
• ½ cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Pulse 6 oz saltine crackers in a blender, then put into the foil lined pan. Pour 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter, knead with hands until well combined, press the mixture into bottom of the pan to make a firm crust. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Take out and let cool.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix 3x8oz packages of cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with sugar, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla and brandy until smooth.

Step 3

Pour 1 ½ cup of the cheesecake batter into a separate bowl. Mix ½ cup blueberries and 1 tbsp confectioners sugar in a blender. Pour into the 1 ½ cup cheesecake batter and mix until well combined. 

Step 4

Pour cheesecake mixture on top of the cooled crust. Pour 1 ½ cup blueberry batter into the main batter, swirl with a knife to make a marble pattern. Bake in preheated to 350 degrees oven on water bath for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let the cake sit in the oven for another hour. Chill in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Tips

1. Line springform pan with aluminum foil before baking the crust, to prevent water from getting into the cheesecake batter.
2. Mixing cream cheese first, then eggs and sugar, then the liquid ingredients yields a smoother cheesecake, and better incorporated flavors. I tried mixing in other order, and all at once, and it wasn’t as great.
3. It helps to have cream cheese heated to room temperature before mixing.
4. Grand Marnier Liquor or Ararat 5 Star Armenian Brandy are superb in this recipe
5. Prevent cracking by running a knife around the cheesecake before putting it in the fridge. This separates the cheesecake from the pan, allowing it to shrink from the sides and not forming cracks in the center.