Ingredients
For the cookie crumb base
1½ cups graham crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
3 tbsp sugar
For the cheesecake top
8 oz cream cheese
⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
⅓ cup whipping cream
zest of one small lemon, or ½ large, finely minced
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
For the cookie crumb base
Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
Mix together the graham crumbs, melted butter and sugar and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
To prepare the cheesecake layer
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the egg and neat for 1 minute/
Blend in the whipping cream along with the lemon zest.
Pour over the prepared crust.
Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the cheesecake batter.
Bake for 25-35 minutes at 300 degrees F until the center sets.
To ensure even baking you can place the baking pan into a larger baking pan and fill half way up with boiling water. This may slow down the cooking process and require a little extra baking time but the cheesecake will bake more evenly from the edges to the center.
Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving. Store in the refrigerator or freeze until needed.
I either pre-cut them into bars and freeze them in airtight containers with each one nestled inside a paper muffin tin liner to easily pluck out as many as you need to thaw at a time. I also freeze an entire batch, uncut, in case I need larger servings to serve as a decadent dessert for unexpected dinner guests.
