Berry Cheesecake Trifles with Lemon Graham Cracker Crumble

Nothing tastes better than fruit in season. We wanted a colorful yet seasonally appropriate dessert to celebrate the Fourth of July. Our 10-year-old son reminded us that North Carolina’s state berries are the strawberry and blueberry. In 2001, the NC General Assembly named the strawberry as the official Red Berry of North Carolina, and named the blueberry as the official Blue Berry of the state. With that in mind we started testing recipes in the OT Kitchen. We finally landed on a fun and attractive dessert from Glorious Treats (a beautifully done website) that uses both berries and a simple, yet delicious, cheesecake filling. However, we used our Whole Fruit Lemon EVOO in place of the butter in the crust and found the citrus kick to be the perfect addition. Our butter-to-olive oil conversion chart made the translation simple. Of course, you can use almost any fruit in place of the blueberries and strawberries but, hey, it’s the Fourth of July! Let the festivities begin!

INGREDIENTS

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBLE

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8-10 full-sized crackers)
• ¼ cup Olive This! Whole Fruit Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons milk (we used 2% but any fat content would do)
• 2 cups Cool Whip, or homemade whipped cream

• about 2½  cups of sliced strawberries
• about 1 pint of blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crumble, break apart the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse 12-15 times into small- to medium-sized crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor you can crush the graham crackers into crumbs using a zipper locking bag and a rolling pin or mallet. Better yet, see if you can find boxed graham cracker crumbs at your local grocery store.

In a bake pan, combine the graham cracker crumbs, the ¼ cup of lemon olive oil and the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Stir well to combine and spread out the mixture in an even layer. Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Rinse the fruit and slice the strawberries into small pieces. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat the 8-ounce block of room-temperature cream cheese using an electric mixer or stand mixer until creamy. Add the ½ cup of powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and beat until incorporated. Finally, add the 2 tablespoons of milk and mix until combined. Next, fold the 2 cups of whipped cream, or Cool Whip, into the cream cheese mixture.

Transfer the cheesecake filling into a pastry bag to help in assembling the dessert. If you don’t have a pastry bag, do what we did in the OT Kitchen and use a zipper locking bag instead. Cut off the bottom corner of the bag leaving about a ½ inch hole. Spoon all the filling into the bag, press most of the air out and seal the zipper lock.

To assemble your desserts, start by spooning some of your cooled graham cracker crumble into the bottom of your serving glass. Squeeze a layer of the cheesecake filling next. Place some sliced strawberries on top of the filling and press down lightly to flatten.

Add another layer of cheesecake filling followed by another scoop of the graham cracker crumble. Add the layer of blueberries, top with a dollop of the cheesecake filling and garnish with pieces of strawberries and blueberries.

Depending on your desired serving size and number of guests, you can experiment with different serving glasses and vary the layers of ingredients. Serve immediately or chill uncovered in the fridge for up to 6 hours.

SERVINGS:  Varies depending on serving dishes used.  This recipe made about 10 4-ounce serving glasses.

Have a comment?  We’d love to hear from you.  Have you tried this dish?  Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy?  Leave us a comment below.