The Barefoot Contessa delivered again this Thanksgiving.  After previous successful culinary endeavors featuring her recipes, I decided to give her Raspberry Cheesecake a whirl this year.

Since we were celebrating in Michigan it seemed fitting to forgo raspberries and bring in some beautiful hand picked wild Michigan blueberries which proved to be a worthy substitute indeed.  These blueberries were picked in August up in picturesque Grand Marais, Michigan on the southern shore of Lake Superior.  Wild blueberries pack an insanely vibrant punch of intense blueberry flavor, a perfect compliment to the rich cheesecake.

This recipe was simple to follow and execute; what would one do without a food processor and a stand mixer these days?  Well, last year I had neither of those conveniences and still managed to pull off another tasty cheesecake.  I had the graham cracker crust pre-baked and the entire cheesecake assembled and in the oven in under 30 minutes.

While this cheesecake was delicious and rich, I actually found it to be slightly heavy and will start looking for a lighter version for the upcoming Christmas holiday.  All in all though, thoroughly enjoyable.

Ina Garten’s Raspberry Wild Michigan Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust:

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• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

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• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

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• 1 cup red jelly (not jam), such as currant, raspberry, or strawberry
• 3 half-pints fresh raspberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Measure your springform pan. The bottom of mine measures 9 inches, but it says 9 1/2. I put the springform pan on a sheet pan before putting it in the oven to catch any leaks.