Make the pretzel base...
1 Combine 8 ounces of finely crushed pretzels with 50 grams (1/4 cup) of granulated sugar and 12 tablespoons of melted butter in a large bowl until the texture is like wet sand
2 Press the pretzel mixture firmly and evenly across the base of a parchment lined 9”x13” deep dish
3 Transfer the dish into the freezer so the pretzel crust can set up while you make the other layers
Make the berry sauce...
1 In a small saucepan, combine 6 ounces of fresh blackberries, 8 ounces of fresh strawberries, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of water and place over medium heat
2 Simmer until the berries begin to soften
3 Transfer the berries into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth
4 Transfer the blended berry sauce back into the saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened
5 Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside to cool
Make the cheesecake filling...
1 Combine 200 grams (slightly less than 1 cup) of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatin in a small saucepan and place over medium low heat
2 Whisk until the gelatin dissolves and then set the saucepan off to the side to cool slightly
3 In a large bowl, whip 300 grams of heavy cream until soft peaks form and set aside
4 In a separate bowl, combine 650 grams (about 1 and 1/2 cartons) of room temperature cream cheese with 200 grams (about 1 cup) of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until smooth and creamy
5 Add the heavy cream and gelatin mixture and whisk to combine
6 Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream with a silicone spatula
Assemble...
1 Remove the dish from the freezer and pour the cheesecake filling over the set pretzel crust
2 Smooth the filling evenly over the dish
3 Drop teaspoons of the berry sauce randomly over the surface of the cheesecake filling and use a toothpick or chopstick to swirl to incorporate (photos above)
4 Repeat if additional berry sauce is desired
5 Cover the dish with plastic or a kitchen towel and chill until set (about 4 hours in the refrigerator or 90 minutes in the freezer)
6 Once set, use the parchment paper to carefully remove the bars from the dish and transfer them onto a cutting board
7 Using a sharp knife, slice into bars
8 Serve immediately or chill until ready to enjoy
