This Oregon Blackberry Cream Cheese makes a delightful shmear on a grainy bagel, or double the recipe and spread it into a graham cracker crust for a fantastic no-bake cheesecake. Thawing the frozen Oregon blackberries overnight with the sugar gives them a chance to macerate, which helps concentrate the flavor.
Recipe by Heather Arndt Anderson from the Voodoo and Sauce Blog
voodooandsauce.com
1 pound Frozen Oregon blackberries
2 Cups sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces brick of cream cheese or Neufchâtel
Step 1
Place berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a nonreactive pot and thaw overnight.
Step 2
Place pot over medium-high heat, stir gently, bring to a boil for five minutes, and then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reaches the set point of 220°F. Try not to break the berries up too much, but don’t worry if they get a little mushed. Allow to cool completely.
Step 3
Congrats! You’ve just made blackberry jam. (You should have a little extra leftover for biscuits and such.)
Step 4
Add the cream cheese and ½ cup of the freshly made blackberry jam to your trusty food processor, and blitz until smooth. If desired, gently swirl in another 2 tablespoons of the jam at the end for a pretty marbled effect.