Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups / 200g cookie crumbs Speculoos/Biscoff, Ginger Snaps, or Graham Crackers
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
Cheesecake
- 1 pound / 450g cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup / 100g granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup / 120g sour cream at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- 3 cups / 340g frozen blackberries (see note) thawed and drained
Whipped Topping
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Line an 8-inch / 20 cm square cake pan with parchment paper that comes up the sides of the pan to act as a sling.
- Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse to combine the cookie crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap and press it with a glass into an even layer.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, until it starts to look lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
- While the crust is baking and cooling, make the cheesecake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, until soft and smooth. Scrape down the sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Mix in sugar for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides often to make sure there are no lumps. Add the sour cream, cinnamon, zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and bourbon, and mix until smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust. Scatter the blackberries evenly over the batter and press them down to submerge any that float on the surface.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes, until just set in the middle when the pan is jiggled gently.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
- When you’re about ready to serve, make the whipped topping. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla to medium-stiff peaks.
- Use the parchment-paper sling to carefully remove the bars from the pan. Use a very thin knife, dipped into hot water, to cut the cheesecake into bars.
Notes
It’s key to use frozen blackberries here. The freezing process breaks down the fruit and gives them a softer texture in the cheesecake. If you only have fresh blackberries, pop them in the freezer for an hour first. It might seem counterintuitive, but I promise the texture will be better.
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