Tom's Vanilla Pecan Blackberry Cheesecake

Tom's Vanilla Pecan Blackberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

• Crust:
• nonstick spray
• One 11-ounce box vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• Filling:
• Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons Celia's Blackberry Ginger Balsamic
• Topping:
• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Celia's Blackberry Ginger Balsamic
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. For the crust: Line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with nonstick spray.
5. Food process the vanilla wafers and pecans into small crumbs. Add the melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
7. For the filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream, blackberry balsamic and mix again.
9. Pour the filling onto the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
11. For the topping: Add the blackberries, sugar, blackberry vinegar and 1/4 cup water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the juices thicken slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
13. In a small bowl, make a slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add the slurry to the berries, return to the boil and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture.
15. Pour the blackberries over the cheesecake and place the pan into the fridge to cool until set.
17. Slice into squares and plate on top of a drizzle of blackberry balsamic.