Strawberry Swirled Cheesecake Recipe

This cheesecake is creamy and not too sweet. The recipe was inspired by a quart of overly ripe strawberries which needed to be used up. You can make your own strawberry sauce, like I did, or substitute any flavor of jam.

Strawberry Sauce

• 1 quart very ripe strawberries, cleaned and hulled
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup raisins
• sweetener to taste (I used about 1/4 cup agave syrup)
• 1 T cornstarch for thickening
• 1/2 cup water

Bring all ingredients (except cornstarch) to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook while stirring often with a fakanál. When berries become soft, mash berries with a potato masher, and add corn starch to thicken. Put aside to cool while cheesecake is prepared (the sauce can be made ahead of time).

Strawberry Swirled Cheesecake

• (3) 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (softened)
• (1) 8 oz container sour cream
• (1) cup sugar
• (3) eggs
• (1) Tablespoon vanilla extract
• (1) graham cracker crust (large)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together softened cream cheese and sugar. Beat eggs with a fork and add to mixture, along with vanilla, then add in sour cream. Pour cheesecake mixture into prepared pie crust. Plop large dollops of strawberry sauce on top of cheese cake. Take a butter knife and swirl the strawberry sauce through cheesecake. Bake for 60-75 minutes… until middle is golden brown. Cool and refrigerate at least six hours before serving.