Dessert
Whidbeys Liquor & Marionberry Swirl Cheesecake
with Hazelnut-Graham Crust

Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Hazelnut-graham cracker crust, recipe follows
Whidbeys-Marionberry puree, recipe follows
1 ½ lbs cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¾ lb mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Whidbeys liquor
1/3 cup sour cream
Instructions:
Place in a preheated 300°F oven. Prepare graham cracker-hazelnut crust and line pan.
Prepare Whidbeys-Marionberry puree.
Place cream cheese and sugar in bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed until combined well -- do not whip. Add flour and mascarpone; mix until incorporated. Add eggs, vanilla, and Whidbeys liquor; mix again on low speed until blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Remove bowl from standing mixer. With rubber spatula, fold in sour cream until combined.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Dot Whidbeys/Marionberry puree around top of the cake, and with a butter knife, swirl puree into the cake batter. Wrap the bottom half of the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil (to prevent water from seeping in) and place in a roasting pan. Add enough water to the roasting pan to fill halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until set. Transfer cheesecake to cooling rack and remove foil. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. For best results, slice cheesecake with a hot, sharp knife.
Hazelnut-Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
6 oz melted unsalted butter
Instructions:
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, hazelnuts, and butter together in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of a 10” springform pan lightly sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
Whidbey's-Marionberry puree
Ingredients:
½ cup Whidbeys liquor
2 Tbsp cornstarch
12 oz marionberries, thawed
½ cup sugar
Instructions:
Whisk the cornstarch and Whidbeys liquor together to completely combine.
Puree marionberries and sugar in blender until smooth. Strain to remove the seeds. Transfer puree to a small sauce pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in Whidbeys/cornstarch mixture. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and place pan in bowl filled with ice to cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside.