Rogue River Blue Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 7 oz Carr’s cracked pepper crackers, crushed 
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 7 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Black Pepper   
                                                

Cheesecake Filling:

• 20 oz. Cream cheese
• 6 oz. Rogue River Blue Cheese
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 5 oz Sour Cream
• A pinch of salt

Blueberry Jam:

• 2 ½ cup Blueberries, cleaned
• 1 ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest
• ½ cup Turbinado Sugar  

Instructions:

1. For the jam: In a medium sized saucepan combine blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and smash the blueberries with the back of a spoon or ladle. Stir frequently until jam thickens, about 20 minutes. Pour into a heat safe container and allow to cool. When cooled, blend in a blender until smooth.
2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Set an oven rack in the lowest position. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance.
3. For the crust: In a food processor, pulse the crackers, black pepper, and brown sugar until they reach a crumbly texture. With the food processor on, stream the butter into the cracker mixture until its incorporated. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, and up the sides. Place in the freezer for 30 min or until frozen, up to an hour.
4. For the filling: Unpackage the Rogue River Blue and allow to come up to room temp at least 30 min. Warm the cream cheese in a microwave safe container for roughly 1-2 min or until malleable. Cream the cheeses, sour cream, and sugar together on low speed in a stand mixer until smooth. Scraping down the bowl frequently. Add the eggs and salt, mixing just until the eggs are combined with the rest of the mixture and pour into the chilled crust. With a ladle or spoon, drop a couple tablespoons of jam into the cheesecake batter. Gently push around the jam with a skewer to achieve the marbled look.
5. Give the springform pan a foil lid to prevent browning and set it inside the deep roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water up to halfway of the springform pan and bake on the bottom rack until the batter is set and jiggles a bit, roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool on a wire rack, and chill overnight. Serve with your desired fruit topping and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar. Enjoy!

Notes: Store bought blueberry jam is fine. You may also use pear jam to pair
with the pear liquor used in production of Rogue River Blue.

If using a convection oven, set the baking temperature to 275°F