Blueberry Cream Cheese Dessert
I absolutely love layered desserts. they're fun to make and fun to eat. A few weeks ago, my dad mentioned to me that he wanted something blueberry for his birthday dessert. While we were still on the phone, I began searching for something blueberry that my mom could make for his 60th birthday (60 seems to be the magic number this month... my dad turned 60 on Oct. 8th and my father-in-law turned 60 on Oct. 16th). Unfortunately, my parents live thousands of miles away so I knew I would not be able to make the dessert myself. Anyway, I came across this layered blueberry dessert and my pregnant body said I just HAD to have it.
This past weekend, my church had a Pig Pickin' (it's a Southern thing...) but luckily it went by another name this year: Fall Festival. I like that name better because it sounds less carnivorous. Someone else cooked the gigantic pig and everyone else brought a side dish or a dessert, so I took this as my perfect opportunity to satisfy my pregnancy craving while not having to eat the ENTIRE dessert myself.
The dessert consists of 4 layers. The first layer is the Graham Cracker Crust. For this, you'll need:
12 graham cracker sheets (crushed to a sandy consistency with a food processor or a zip-lock bag and rolling pin).
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. In a greased 9X13 pan, press the graham cracker crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
The second layer is a Cream Cheese layer. You'll need:
1 (8 oz.) pkg of cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
Beat all of the ingredients with a mixer until creamy. Once the first layer is out of the oven, pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Put it back in the oven and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until and edges are slightly browned and the layer is set.
The third layer is blueberries. You have 2 options here:
1 can blueberry pie filling
OR you can make your own, using:
1 1/2 - 2 pints of fresh (or frozen) blueberries
water
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Place the blueberries into a medium sauce pan. Add enough water to come just halfway up the blueberries. Place pan over med-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to med-low and add sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the blueberries start to break down. Mix cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. water to dissolve it before adding it to the blueberries. Bring the heat back up to get the mixture boiling again, then add the cornstarch and mix well. Cook for 4-5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let the blueberry mixture cool. It will thicken as it cools. (My camera isn't the greatest and my blueberries look more of the color of cranberries, but I promise you they're not!)
Once the blueberry mixture AND the cream cheese layer are both cool, pour the blueberries over the cream cheese layer.
The fourth layer is a whipped cream/marshmallow mixture. You'll need:
1/2 bag of mini marshmallows (about 1/4 lb.)
1/2 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
Add the marshmallows and milk to the top bowl of a double boiler set on med-high heat. Cook until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth.
Once smooth, remove from heat and let cool. If the mixture separate while cooling, just mix it back together.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium speed until it stiffens to a whipped cream consistency (this will take just a couple of minutes). Fold in the whipped cream mixture into the cooled marshmallow mixture.
Spread this fourth and final layer on the top of the blueberry mixture. Chill the entire dessert in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
This past weekend, my church had a Pig Pickin' (it's a Southern thing...) but luckily it went by another name this year: Fall Festival. I like that name better because it sounds less carnivorous. Someone else cooked the gigantic pig and everyone else brought a side dish or a dessert, so I took this as my perfect opportunity to satisfy my pregnancy craving while not having to eat the ENTIRE dessert myself.
The dessert consists of 4 layers. The first layer is the Graham Cracker Crust. For this, you'll need:
12 graham cracker sheets (crushed to a sandy consistency with a food processor or a zip-lock bag and rolling pin).
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. In a greased 9X13 pan, press the graham cracker crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
The second layer is a Cream Cheese layer. You'll need:1 (8 oz.) pkg of cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
Beat all of the ingredients with a mixer until creamy. Once the first layer is out of the oven, pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Put it back in the oven and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until and edges are slightly browned and the layer is set.
The third layer is blueberries. You have 2 options here:1 can blueberry pie filling
OR you can make your own, using:
1 1/2 - 2 pints of fresh (or frozen) blueberries
water
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Place the blueberries into a medium sauce pan. Add enough water to come just halfway up the blueberries. Place pan over med-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to med-low and add sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the blueberries start to break down. Mix cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. water to dissolve it before adding it to the blueberries. Bring the heat back up to get the mixture boiling again, then add the cornstarch and mix well. Cook for 4-5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let the blueberry mixture cool. It will thicken as it cools. (My camera isn't the greatest and my blueberries look more of the color of cranberries, but I promise you they're not!)
Once the blueberry mixture AND the cream cheese layer are both cool, pour the blueberries over the cream cheese layer.The fourth layer is a whipped cream/marshmallow mixture. You'll need:
1/2 bag of mini marshmallows (about 1/4 lb.)
1/2 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
Add the marshmallows and milk to the top bowl of a double boiler set on med-high heat. Cook until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth.
Once smooth, remove from heat and let cool. If the mixture separate while cooling, just mix it back together.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium speed until it stiffens to a whipped cream consistency (this will take just a couple of minutes). Fold in the whipped cream mixture into the cooled marshmallow mixture.
Spread this fourth and final layer on the top of the blueberry mixture. Chill the entire dessert in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
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