Strawberry Cheesecake

photo by Alex Dugger

OH yeah baby! My favorite kind of cheesecake has arrived! Love, love, love strawberry sauce all over it! This is a slice of Heaven that I can have any day! And if you have extra strawberries left which I usually do, then make them take on a dual role by pairing them with ice cream or frozen yogurt!


Ingredients:
2 cups soft coconut macaroon cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
4 packages (8 ounce size) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
4 eggs
2 cups strawberries, hulled, quartered
2 teaspoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix cookie crumbs and margarine. Press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of lightly greased springform pan. Bake 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add peel; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.

Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Place strawberries in blender or food processor container; cover. Blend until smooth; strain. Stir in juice and remaining sugar. Serve spooned over cheesecake slices and let run down the sides. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Quarter extra strawberries and pour over some ice cream or frozen yogurt and top with some whipped cream!