Ingredients
For the jaboticaba jam (yields ~1 cup):
- 1 lb jaboticabas (about 16 oz)
- 1 ¼ cups sugar (about 8.8 oz)
- Juice of ½ lemon
-
½ cup water
For the crust:
- 7 oz Maria or graham-style crackers (about 1 ¾ cups crushed)
- ½ cup melted butter (1 stick / 4 oz)
For the filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 standard packages)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (6 oz)
- ½ cup sugar (3.5 oz)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
-
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
Directions
How to Make the Jaboticaba Jam:
Wash the jaboticabas and place them in a medium saucepan. Lightly mash them with a fork or potato masher to break the skins. No need to remove seeds. Add ½ cup of water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the fruit is soft, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract all juice and pulp. Return the liquid and pulp to the pan. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 20–30 minutes or until thickened. Let cool and store in a clean jar. Reserve for topping.
How to Make the Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Mix crushed crackers with melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill while preparing the filling.
Beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Add heavy cream, then eggs one at a time, vanilla, and optional cornstarch. Mix just until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 50–60 minutes, until the center is just slightly jiggly. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
Top with jaboticaba jam before serving. If the jam is too thick, warm it slightly with 1 tbsp of water or lemon juice to loosen.