Beginning with the crust
Well since I had to buy ingredients for the strawberry cream pie, of course I ended up with some extra ingredients that I had no idea what to do with! I had to find something that would include crushed strawberries and heavy whipping cream. The only thing I could think of that I felt like making was a cheesecake…which scared me to death! I’ve never ventured into the realm of cheesecakes, and I’ve only heard horror stories about them. Cheesecakes to me were always that thing that only bakeries and professionals made. After alloooot of research and preparing, I began my first cheesecake adventure 
Beating the filling
The actual process of baking the cheesecake wasn’t so bad. I did mess up the crust, it was a little uneven on the bottom but that really isn’t a big deal. The thing that surprised me was how long it took (not including chilling overnight)! I think it was so long because this was a two layer cheesecake, and I probably should have started with something easier. But I had to bake the crust first then the second layer, THEN the top layer!
Adding pureed strawberries to half the batter
In the end, it came out PERFECT! Well, taste-wise at least. There was a crack on the top, but it was totally my fault and I knew what I did wrong with that. Besides, the cracks aren’t a big deal either. I think I used too much strawberries on the top, which was heavier than the top part and made it sink just a bit.
The final product!
As far as the review for this cheesecake goes, I would give a million stars if I could! I added lemon extract to the crust instead of lemon zest. I would also use less strawberry topping so that it wouldn’t sink as much. But the crust was just at the perfect consistency (not too crunchy) and the cheesecake blended perfectly with the different layers of sweetness vs. cheesiness of the cream cheese.
We couldn't wait to cut into it
This last picture is before it could chill properly, but I wanted to taste it!!
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
Filling:
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup pureed fresh strawberries, divided
8 to 10 drops red food coloring, optional
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and lemon peel; cut in butter until crumbly. Pat dough onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla just until blended. Pour 2-1/2 cups batter into a bowl; set aside.
Stir 3/4 cup pureed strawberries and food coloring if desired into remaining batter. Pour into crust. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 16 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Place in a large baking pan. Add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
Carefully pour reserved batter over bottom layer. Spoon remaining pureed berries over batter in three concentric circles. Carefully cut through top layer only with a knife to swirl.
Bake 40-50 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Remove pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 316 calories, 17 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 115 mg cholesterol, 156 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.
TasteofHome.com
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Strawberry-Swirl-Cheesecake
Tags: bake, cheesecake, dessert, fruit, recipe, strawberry, swirl
