Cheesecake with Blackberry Swirls

Ingredients:

Cake

• 250 gr. chocolate chip cookies
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 110 g butter, melted
• Special equipment: a springform pan with a diameter of 25 cm and a wooden skewer

Filling

• 950 g of cream cheese
• 1.25 cups sugar
• 450 g sour cream at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350 g blackberries
• Whipped cream, for decoration

Preparation:

1. For the cake: Place the rack in the middle of the oven, preheated to 160 degrees.
   
   Add the cookies and sugar to a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and pulse lightly until combined.
   
   Press the crumb mixture tightly into a solid crust in the bottom of a springform pan. Bake until set, 15–18 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
2. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a piece of foil and place it in a larger baking dish; you will be cooking the cheesecake in a water bath.
3. For the fillingBeat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and beat briefly until smooth. Then add the heavy cream. Beat briefly again. By hand, first beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Try not to overmix, or the cheesecake will turn into a soufflé.
4. Puree half the blackberries in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and add 1/4 cup of the cheesecake filling. Stir. Pour the remaining filling, excluding the blackberries, over the baked crust.
5. Using a large spoon, spoon the blackberry mixture onto the filling. Insert a long wooden skewer into the cheesecake, making sure it reaches the bottom, and then pull it through, spreading the colors and creating swirls. Pour hot water into the baking dish to about 1/2 the height of the springform pan.
6. Bake until the cheesecake is set on the outside but still slightly puffy in the center, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for another 1 hour.
7. Remove the cheesecake pan from the baking dish and transfer it to a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
8. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan again, then open the pan. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate or cake stand. Trim the edges of the cake with a knife. Slice and serve with whipped cream and the remaining blackberries.