Strawberry Cheesecake (with butterscotch crust)
*** the cheesecake is decorated with the Lebanese flag for fun creativity. You can just add the strawberry topping.
On my grocery run I came across a book named "Magnolia Table." It looked like a modern book full of white and airy food pictures. So I caved in and bought the book. Later I discovered that Magnolia Table is a famous restaurant in Texas where people wait by the hours to dine there.
Of course I skip all the way to the dessert section of the book and the beautiful cheesecake catches my eye. I have never made cheesecake before, but I do love an American restaurant style cheesecake. Especially when we are celebrating Ramadan now, who doesn't crave a cheesecake?
The cheesecake featured in the book is a plain cheesecake with no toppings, but that doesn't work for me. Since strawberries are almost in season and we had berries in the fridge I decided to make a strawberry and blueberry/blackberry topping. It's a simple jam to make and will take 5 min. prep and 10 min on the heat. I added a hint of rosewater for a Lebanese sweet aroma.
There is one last adjustment, the crust! I didn't want a thin crust cheesecake with too much of the creamy cheese part. So I doubled the crust recipe and kept the sugar amount to 1 part (so instead of 2/3 cup sugar I kept it 1/3 cup) because I really wanted to enjoy the strawberry jam topping and not feel like a over indulged.
But there is one last baking tip, and secret to my cheesecake. Instead of adding melted butter, I browned the butter to give the crust a butterscotch taste almost like you added caramel to it.
Browning the butter is the process of putting your butter into a light colored sauce pan like aluminum silver or white, then over medium heat you whisk the butter until you start seeing brown crumbs at the bottom of the sauce pan. You quickly remove it from the saucepan into a heat proof bowl and let it cool.
It sounds like a lot of work, but once you start making it you'll notice how easy it is. This will be your cheesecake game changer!
Ingredients: Recipe for 9 in spring form pan. Please see baking options below first.
Strawberry Jam Topping:
4 cups strawberry, washed, remove the stem (hulled) and cut 2 cups of the strawberries in half.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
Crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned
Cheese filling:
Three 8 oz. blacks of cream cheese, at room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups light cream
(the original recipe calls for heavy cream but I wanted to reduce the fat and sugar content of the cake so I used light cream)
Directions:
Strawberry topping: You can make this top the day before.
1. Wash and remove the stem from your strawberries. Cut half the amount of strawberries (about 2 cups) in half. Place the other half amount to the side.
Note: If your strawberries are all different sizes. Cut the large ones in half and reserve the smaller ones to add to the jam as whole strawberries.
2. In a small bowl, add cornstarch and water mix well.
3. In a medium saucepan, add halved strawberries, cornstarch mixture, lemon juice, sugar, and rose water and mix over medium heat for 1 min.
4. Mash the strawberries in the saucepan with a potato masher or fork to bring out the juice form the strawberry. Then add the other whole strawberries (that were not sliced in half) into the sauce pan.
5. Simmer for 5-10 min. The more you simmer the less liquid the jam will be.
6. Remove from heat and place in a heat proof jar or bowl. When cooled place in the fridge.
Note: This will work for any berry with the same amounts.
Crust: You can omit the browning method and just add the melted butter. However, it will not give you a butterscotch flavor.
PREHEAT Oven at 360 Fahrenheit then decrease to 350 Fahrenheit when you place the crust. Your home oven is always 10 degrees cooler.
1. There are two methods to crushing the graham crackers into crumbs: food processor or bag and rolling pin.
If using a food processor: place cracker into processor and pulse until it turns into fine crumbs.
If using a ziploc bag/ freezer bag & rolling pin: place crackers in bag, flatten bag to remove air and zip the bag. Use the rolling pin to beat the bag and roll until the cracker turn in to fine crumbs.
Place on the side until you brown the butter.
NOTE: have a heat proof bowl ready next to you when browning the butter.
2. In a saucepan that is light in color, add butter and whisk over medium heat until you can see brown crumbs. This processor will take 3-5 min.
See video for visual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-eLe2zuTyQ
3. Immediately, place browned butter in heat proof bowl.
4. Allow butter to cool in the fridge for 10 min.
5. Remove butter from the fridge, place crumbs on top, and add sugar. Mix well.
6. Using a spring form pan, press crumbs into the bottom of the pan with hands and flatten with bottom of measuring cup.
7. Bake for 8- 10 min until crust is golden brown in color.
8. Remove from oven. Keep the oven on.
Cheese Filling: You can make the filling while the crust is baking.
1. In a stand mixer (or bowl with a hand mixer) add cream cheese (room temp.) sugar, sour cream, cornstarch and mix well on medium- high until creamy.
2. Add eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and light cream into bowl and mix on low until well blended for 3 min.
3. Add the cheese mixture on top of the crust in the pan.
See baking options
4. Bake for 1 hr. to 1hr 10 min.
5. Carefully remove from oven with the water bath.
6. Remove cheesecake pan from water bath and allow to cool for 1 hr.
7. Then place in the fridge for 4-6 hours to chill.
8. Top with strawberry topping and serve. Sahteen!
Baking Options:
You will have to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. This method helps the cheesecake to bake evenly, without cooking the side and leaving the middle uncooked.
Option A: You will need your large baking pan for the water bath. A deep sheet pan will work. A 10 inch round baking pan, and your 9 inch spring form pan with the cheesecake inside.
Place spring form pan into 10 inch pan, then place both inside the large baking pan. Add water to the large baking pan.
Video for visual example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68htVeDaYh4
Option B: Use the aluminium foil method. It helps but this will not prevent water from seeping in 100%. Double wrap the spring form pan with aluminium foil before baking crust. Then place in a large baking sheet for a water bath.
Option C: Use a tart pan. Image Below. Place tart pan into a deep baking sheet, then pour water into the baking sheet.
