ROTD: Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base:

• 350g whole wheat biscuits
• 150g butter

Filling:

• 800g Cream Cheese
• 400g 35 heavy Cream
• 75g granulated sugar
• 75g powdered sugar
• Zest and juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• Few strawberries for garnish

For the strawberry topping:

• 300g ripe strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp corn flour
• Few drops of lemon juice

Instructions:

Base:

1. Melt the butter and set aside.
2. Crush the biscuits and place them in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over the biscuits and mix well.
3. Line a 23 or 25 cm pan with parchment paper.
4. Press the biscuit mixture into the pan to form the base. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

Filling:

1. The cream cheese should be at room temperature.
2. Place the cream cheese in a bowl and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar.
3. Use a soft spatula to mix until smooth and velvety.
4. Whip the cold cream with a hand mixer for about 1 minute until soft peaks form.
5. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
6. Pour the cream cheese filling into the prepared base and smooth out the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set.

Strawberry sauce:

1. Wash and halve the strawberries if small, or quarter them if large. Place them in a saucepan.
2. Add sugar, corn flour, and lemon juice. Mix well with a spoon off the heat for 2-3 minutes until the strawberries release moisture.
3. When the sugar starts to melt and a sauce forms, place the saucepan over low heat for a few minutes until it thickens into a syrup.
4. Allow to cool completely.

Assembly:

1. Once chilled, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and garnish with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of the strawberry sauce on each slice.

Source: Argiro Barbarigou