Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

So The Hunger Games movie premiered this weekend and, I have to say, it was fantastic! I left the theater feeling like the movie stayed true to the book and did it justice. It was awesome to see the book come to life. I can't wait to see it again! 


But before we saw the movie we made a special premier dinner inspired by The Hunger Games. I follow all of the recipes from the original post, except we nixed the margaritas and decided to make this Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce rather than the blackberry pie for our "Poison Berry Pie."  And I am glad I did! This pie is so, so, so delicious. It was our favorite thing on the whole menu. That's why I'm sharing it with you all first! Well, that and I am a "dessert first" kinda gal.  


This cheesecake has a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. The lime cheesecake is light and refreshing. The tangy, sweet blackberry sauce on top  compliments it really well. I had some blackberries left over and I like to top my slices with those to give it even more blackberry flavor. This is a perfect summer time cheesecake!


Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• For the cheesecake:
• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Juice of 2 limes
• Zest of 2 limes

For the blackberry sauce:

• 6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1½ tsp. cornstarch
• 1½ tsp. cold water

Directions:

To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F.  


Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir together until well combined and moistened.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.

To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set.  Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches.  Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving.

Adapted from: http://annies-eats.com/2011/03/09/lime-cheesecake-with-blackberry-sauce/