Recipe : Blueberry Goats Cheese Bars

Oh, Pinterest, you've done it again!  I saw this picture pop up through FoodGawker and knew that I had to try and make it.  I'm a cheesecake lover, and I'm also mad for goats cheese, so it was a no-brainer for me.  This is a dessert recipe from Bird & Cleaver, and it looks a bit complicated, but it's actually very easy and the instructions are simple to follow - I could do it, you can too!

I know all the rules say not to try cooking something new for the first time when you've got guests coming, but I was willing to risk it for this - and I'm so glad I did!  This dessert is seriously scrumptious.  It's a conversation stopper.  The only noises coming from our dinner table were "Mmmmmmm" and chewing.

As usual, my comments in italics - let's cook!

Blueberry Goats Cheese Bars

Crust

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (we don't have graham crackers in Germany, and I had a box of chocolate digestives, so I crushed them up in a big ziploc - so yummy)
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt

Cheesecake

• 1 x 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature (of course, our cream cheese doesn't come in that size over here, so I used one tub of full fat and a bit of another tub of low fat to get enough)
• 3oz goats cheese, room temperature
• 6oz sour cream (I used low fat creme legere as I had it in the fridge already, worked fine)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs (I ended up using 3 because I wasn't paying attention and dropped the white of one down the sink - oops - so it was more like 2.5 eggs)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch of salt

Blueberry Syrup/Topping

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350f (180c)
2. Combine crust ingredients
3. Push into bottom of 9x13 pan (I used a greased 20cm springform as I was worried about getting it out, but it came out cleanly)
4. Bake for five minutes or until crust is just set
5. Set aside to cool
6. Combine blueberries, sugar, water and lemon juice in small non-reactive saucepan
7. Cook over medium heat until mixture reduces into a syrup, about five minutes
8. Add pinch of salt, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
9. Strain syrup through a fine mesh sieve and separate fruit for topping (optional)
10. Cream cheeses together in stand mixer (I used a normal mixer, life is too short, and I always find I run out of hands when I'm using a stand mixer)
11. Scrape down sides of bowl and add sour cream and sugar
12. Beat until well combined, 1-2 minutes
13. Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, one at a time
14. Add vanilla and salt and mix on low until incorporated
15. Pour cheesecake filling over prepared crust and smooth out
16. Using a spoon, drop dots of blueberry syrup over the top of the cheesecake
17. Pull the blueberry syrup through the cheesecake batter to make a swirled pattern
18. You can use as much or as little of the syrup as you like (I could have used more I think, I was being very cautious)
19. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until centre is just set (our stupid old oven is not normal, so it took more like 40 minutes for me, just keep an eye on it)
20. Remove to cooling rack and cool to room temperature before putting in fridge for at least 2-3 hours
21. Top with reserved fruit and additional syrup and enjoy
22. Oh, and if you've still got any syrup left over, I found that a small spoonful of it in a glass of bubbles is rather lovely!

Oh, and remember you can follow me on Pinterest so you can see all the goodies I like.  Just click the "follow me on Pinterest" button to the right of my blog screen.