Berry Beety Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ C graham cracker crumbs
• 3 T butter , melted
• 1 C + 2T cane sugar
• 16 oz cream cheese , softened
• 2 t lemon zest
• ½ t vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 medium beet
• 10 oz mixed frozen berries
• 10 oz blueberry fruit spread
• squeeze of lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Wash the beet well and cut off any greenery. Place in an aluminum foil packet, loosely closed around the beet. Roast for one hour or until the beet is fork-tender. When cool, the peel should come right off. Chop to a fine dice.
2. While the beet is roasting, blend the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 2 T cane sugar and press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9" X 13" pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 mins. or until golden brown. remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temp to 300° F once both the beet and the crust have baked.
3. In a small saucepan, combine frozen fruit, finely diced beet, berries, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt. Simmer on low heat until thick. You can start this before the beet is done baking and add the beet near the end of the simmer time to save time. You can also start with the raw beet, but the process will take much longer and you will not get the nice caramelized sweetness of a roasted beet.
4. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 C sugar and beat until fluffy. Add lemon zest and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour over crumb mixture.
5. Using a tablespoon, drop dollops of the berry mixture on top of the cream cheese. Once you have used up all of the mixture, use a knife to swirl it in the cream cheese.
6. Bake 1 hour or until firm in center. Cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. NOTE: Cheesecake freezes well. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to one month. Defrost in fridge overnight.