Blueberry Cheesecake Squares

These light and fresh tasting blueberry cheesecake bars are a perfect way to end a spring brunch or dinner. You could change the blueberries to cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, or whatever you have around. You can also use lemon zest instead of the orange to add a new dimension to the cheesecake bars. Have fun with it, that is the best part of cooking and baking. Using what you know to make something else delicious.

2 Tbsp. raw sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 eggs
2 tsp. orange zest, finely grated
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a 9x13” baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

Put the sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, and blueberries in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it is thickened and has come to a bubble. Take off the heat and set aside.

Put the flour, confectioners' sugar, and butter in the mixer and mix until it comes together. It will be crumbly. Press into the baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is cooking, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the flour. Add the eggs, vanilla and orange zest. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the hot crust.

Spoon the reserved blueberries over the cream cheese mixture. Take a knife and swirl the blueberries throughout the cream cheese.

Put the pan back into the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until the bars are set.

Let the pan cool on a rack for an hour. Then put the bars back into the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cut into squares and dust with confectioner’s sugar.