At least a few hours before you’ll bake the cheesecake, make the roasted blueberry puree:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a 9 inch cake pan (square or circle) toss the blueberries with the sugar. Roast the berries for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. The berries will increase in size, then begin to burst. Use a wooden spoon to mash them slightly when you stir.

Out of the oven, let them cool slightly so the pan and berries are easier to handle then transfer the berries, scraping down all the juices, into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve, stirring and pressing down to remove all the skin-less puree. Discard the skins. You should have about a cup of blueberry puree (it’s ok if it’s a little less but don’t add more than a cup of puree to the cheesecake or it will be overly ‘wet’). Let the puree cool fully then transfer to a sealable container and chill in the fridge.

Lightly grease an 8 inch round cake pan (you can also use an 8 inch square pan if you plan to make bars) and line it with parchment paper. Use metal clips to hold the parchment in place. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grind the cookies in a food processor into fine crumbs. In a large bowl, melt the butter then add the cookie crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir together until the mix resembles wet sand. When you squeeze the crumbs in your palm it should leave a slight oily residue, if it’s very oily you might need to add more crumbs (this will happen if you’ve used a different cookie which has a higher fat %).

Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and then the other half up the sides. The sides won’t be perfect and straight against the parchment paper, it’s ok - just do your best. Use a measuring cup to help you pack the crumbs into the bottom.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. When it comes out it may look misshapen or bubbled, just use a measuring cup to pack it into place again. Set it aside to cool and lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

Set the sugar in the bowl and zest the lemon over it. Rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils.

Scrape the softened, room temperature cream cheese into the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the vanilla and salt and affix the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low and cream together the flavorings, sugar and cream cheese until it’s smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat again so it mixes evenly.

Add the sour cream and blueberry puree (no more than 240g or a scant 1 cup of puree) and mix on low to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed and mix.

With the mixer on, add the eggs and mix until just combined. Pour the filling into the baked crust and smooth over the top so it’s in an even layer.

Set the 8” cake pan with the cheesecake in it in a larger cake pan, a 13x9”. Fill the larger pan halfway with water. Set it in the middle rack of the oven, away from any hot spots. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath until it is set, and only the center wobbles just a bit when you gently shake the pan, about 60 minutes. Take the cheesecake out, still in its water bath, and let it cool on the counter to room temperature. Once it’s cool, set it on the counter for about ten minutes then in the fridge to chill for 8 hours. Serve cold, store in the fridge. The cheesecake will last up to 4 days.