Berry Best Cheesecake

This is an adaptation/alteration of a blueberry cheesecake recipe that I found in a magazine (I believe it was Taste of Home?).  I decided to make it for Easter this year, and it turned out fabulous.  I used a crust-less version of it as the base layer for a cake that I did last month.  That also turned out well.  This cheesecake does not require a hot water bath or gradual cooling, making it one of the simpler recipes.  It has a thick texture (though seedy if you don't strain your berries a bit) and a very rich flavor; a perfect use for ripe spring and summer berries.

Berry Best Cheesecake

12 graham cracker boards
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 packages (total of 24 oz) Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
6 oz plain low-fat greek yogurt (recipe calls for 2%)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (I used the juice of 1 lemon, it worked well)
2 tsp. lemon zest (one lemon should be plenty for this)
3 eggs
1 cup mixed berries
1/4 cup sugar

(I used frozen berries for this and had a good result, but I'm sure that fresh would be even better).

Pre-heat your oven to 350F.  Crush the crackers as finely as possible, mix them with the melted butter and 2 Tbsp of sugar, and press them firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch round spring-form pan.  In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese and yogurt.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar, the lemon juice and the zest.  Add the eggs and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl at least once.  Rinse the berries and toss them with the flour before folding them into the filling.  Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edge.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake, then allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour.  This cake should be refrigerated for at least 3 hours before serving, in order to set.  Just before serving you may want to add additional berries and/or glaze to the top of your cheesecake.