Recipe by our in house chef, Maddy Goldberg
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serving Size: 9-12 squares
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the strawberry swirl:
3/4 cup strawberries, stems removed and halved
For the cheesecake:
500 g cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup whipping cream
Method
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 oven safe dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumb, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until combined. Transfer to parchment lined dish and spread evenly to cover the bottom of the dish. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the crust to form an even layer that covers the entire bottom of the dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Made strawberry swirl: In a small saucepan add strawberries and cover. Place over very low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until strawberries have become very soft and produced a lot of liquid. Transfer to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Set aside in fridge.
Make the cheesecake: Reduce oven to 325 F. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes. In stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Scrape down sides with a spatula as needed. Add sugar and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs, mix until smooth. Continue to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl throughout. Add sour cream and whip cream, mix until smooth. Pour cheesecake over the cooled crust. Using a large spoon, drop about 1 tbsp dots of blended strawberry all around the cheesecake so they are spread out. About 6-10 dots total. Using a butter knife, lightly drag the knife in a zig zag pattern from top to bottom of cheesecake making sure NOT to touch the crust. You are looking to distribute the strawberry swirl around and it should create a nice pattern.
Bake cheesecake: Bake in 325 F oven for 1 hour. Once baked, turn oven off and open the door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 45 minutes before touching it. Transfer to fridge and let cool for minimum four hours.