Shelly's Recipe

STRAWBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Crust
1 (10 oz) pkg shortbread cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
3 cups fresh strawberries
4 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tbsp flour
4 eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325. Wrap bottom and sides of 9 inch springform pan with wide heavy-duty foil. Place cookies in food processor; process until finely ground. There should be 2 1/4 cups. (Or place cookies in resealable plastic bag; crush with rolling pin.) In medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press evenly into bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake 8 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.

Place strawberries in food processor or blender; process until pureed. Strain through fine mesh strainer into small bowl. Reserve 1 cup puree; save remaining puree for another use, if desired.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at low speed until smooth. Beat in flour. Beat in 2 of the eggs just until combined; repeat with remaining 2 eggs. Scrape bowl. Beat in cream, lemon juice and vanilla just until blended. Reserve 2 1/2 cups batter in another medium bowl. Stir 3/4 cup of the strawberry puree into batter in large bowl until completely blended; pour into crust. Place pan in large shallow roasting or broiler pan. Fill with enough hot tap water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake 35 minutes.

Carefully slide out oven rack several inch. Pour reserved vanilla batter evenly over cheesecake. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup strawberry puree over top. Pull tip of knife lightly through top of vanilla batter to swirl strawberry puree.* Bake 20 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch. (Strawberry swirl may be moist.) Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid. Remove cake from water bath; remove foil. Place on wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. (Cheesecake can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Store in refrigerator.

TIP *Cheesecake may crack slightly where the strawberry puree meets the vanilla batter. Carefully running the knife through the very top only when swirling will help this problem.