Growing up, my mom only ever made two different kinds of Western desserts for us: white cake or baked cheesecake. I still remember as a really young kid, seeing her use our electric hand mixer to whip the cream cheese mixture(the literal only time she would ever use that thing), she would crush the graham crackers by hand, and we have this one specific ovular casserole dish she would use to bake the cheesecake in. I still remember that the cheesecake itself was dense, rich, and custardy, but with the right amount of tang from the cream cheese and sour cream. It was not like any dessert I ever had at that point(granted I was probably only 3 or 4, and the only other dessert I ever had at that age was probably ice cream or just regular cakes/cupcakes). It was a very special memory to me, because it showed that my mom really tried to provide me and my sister with an American-ish childhood, despite us being immigrants. Baked cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust are definitely not a Taiwanese thing; Taiwanese cheesecakes are more similar to the jiggly Japanese ones, for reference. So whenever I make a baked cheesecake with a graham crust, it just takes me back to that memory. I wanted to do a take on a very classic New York-style cheesecake with those components, and ripple it with a mixed berry jam, just to make it colorful and full of surprises when you actually cut into it and see the swirled purples and reds in the pale white batter. While this cheesecake was not made the exact way my mother would make hers, it is still an homage to that moment, because unlike the white cake(which came from a box mix), my mom’s cheesecake was fully made from scratch(I mean if you don’t count the graham crackers, but we’ll turn the other way on that).

For the components, we have a triple berry jam, a graham cracker crust, and the cheesecake filling. The jam is made with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Why those three? Because I just happened to have those on hand, so that’s what we are using. The jam itself does need to be made first, since it needs time to cool before you swirl it into the cheesecake batter! The rest of the jam will also be used on top as a garnish. For the crust, it does use your typical graham crackers and melted butter, but in this case, I melt the butter into the graham crackers, since I am trying to both toast the graham cracker crumbs while incorporating the butter into them simultaneously. This way, it really develops a nuttier flavor in the crust itself! I also use egg white to bind my crust, just because the type of graham cracker crust I despise is one that tastes powdery and sort of falls apart, both of which the addition of an egg white prevents! And for the cheesecake batter, instead of using a mixer, I actually puree it. I find that sometimes cream cheesecake get lumpy and not fully break down, but using a blender ensures that your cheesecake batter is smooth and homogenous going into the pan, and when the final product is fully baked! Despite being a baked cheesecake, it does only need 40 minutes of baking time, but the cooling can take up to another 40 minutes, since it does need time to set to prevent cracks from working on top. Granted, if cracks do happen, the jam can help cover those up as needed! I also dusted the sides with a little confectioner’s sugar, since I found that the filling did sort of brush up against the sides of the crust as it baked, then when it started to settle back down, there were flecks of the cream cheese all over the edges of the graham cracker, but the sugar helped cover that up, so nobody would be any the wiser on that!

For the triple berry jam:
2oz strawberries, leaves removed
2oz blackberries
2oz raspberries
1oz granulated sugar
1oz lemon juice
a pinch of salt

In a pot, heat up everything on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are completely soft and the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, and that any excess liquid is cooked off; the jam should coat the back of a spoon. Allow the jam to fully cool before using in the cheesecake as well as on top of it to garnish.

For the crust:
4oz graham crackers
6 tbsp unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
1 egg white

In a food processor, blend the crackers into a fine powder. Place the powder into a pan with the butter and stir on high heat with the salt until the butter is fully melted into the crumbs. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and mix in the egg white to form your crust dough. Place a 6-inch by 2-inch ring mold onto a lined sheet tray. Press the crust around the interior of the ring mold, making sure to cover the bottom and at least up to 1 inch up the sides. Bake the crust at 325 for 15 minutes.

For the cheesecake filling:
4oz cream cheese
2oz sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
.1oz vanilla bean paste
a pinch of salt

Place all of the ingredients into a blender or a food processor and puree until a smooth batter forms. Pass the batter through a sieve to remove any lumps and pour into the batter into the baked crust. Swirl roughly half of the jam through the cheesecake filling. Bake at 325 F for 40 minutes. Allow the cheesecake to fully cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

To finish:
Confectioner’s sugar

Garnish the top of the chilled cheesecake with the remainder of the jam. Dust the edges of the cheesecake with confectioner’s sugar to finish.