Blackberry Cheesecake Tart

This morning Boots, Cookie, and I picked blackberries. They grow wild all over the place here.

Every year, I forget how treacherous those blackberry bushes are. I go out there with Cookie on my left and Boots on my right. I see a big, fat, berry hanging deep in the recesses of the brambly jungle of death.

"Stay here kids. I have to do this alone."

They look on as my arms and legs are ripped to shreds by the vicious thorns. Spiders and centipedes crawl out of bowels of the monstrous briar to greet me with their fangs and feed on my bleeding flesh.

I pluck my prize from my adversary and bound back to Boots and Cookie who await me with expectant faces. And I inwardly promise myself that next year I will leave the blackberries to spiders.

And every year I forget my inward promise. 

But this year, since I went to so much trouble, I decided to make something amazing.

All of my pain and suffering was worth it. 

As you possibly can tell from these pictures, my crust was not quite as well done on the bottom as it could have been. That's why I am instructing you to bake the crust for 20 minutes before you add the filling. This is what happens when I make things up as I go. So do as I say, not as I do.

Blackberry Cheesecake Tart With Shortbread Crust

Crust:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 325º
Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk. Add the salt and flour and mix with your fingers or a pastry blender just until combined. Press into a lightly greased and floured 11 inch tart pan. Bake for twenty minutes. Meanwhile make the filling.

Filling:
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 1/2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and egg. Pour into the baked crust. Toss the blackberries in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cornstarch. Strategically place the berries on top of the cream cheese layer. You don't want to just dump them on because you want them spread evenly on top. Bake for about 55 more minutes.
Store in the refrigerator.

P.S. I picked you some flowers.