Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote

I have been making cheesecake for awhile now. So when I saw some juicy strawberries in the supermarket, I grabbed them and started thinking of making another version of my Ultimate cheesecake.

For beginners: you will need a spring form pan: -- it's a pan with  lever on the side you can open.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups finely ground oreos or graham crackers (about 12-15 pieces)-- use a food processor/blender to make it easier
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted --you can use less butter if you wan you can also add some granulated sugar in it (to taste)

-- the original recipe called for cinnamon, but since I used the oreos I had on hand, I skipped the cinnamon altogether

Filling:

• 1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened (room temperature for the Philippine
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups cream -- or if you want it more tart, 2 cups sour cream) or 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup regular cream
• 1 lemon, zested -- careful with the zest....don't get the white part bec it will become bitter
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• Warm strawberry Topping, recipe follows
•  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. (or 160C)

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients (for the crust) with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. (I used wax paper on the bottom since cutting the cake ruins the pan if you don't line it)-- this I learned from experience

Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.   (my daughter used spoons)

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. (I didn't have sour cream at the time so i used 2 cups regular cream and 1 tsp lemon juice) Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour  water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 50 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Warm strawberry compote -- (you can use canned pie topping)

• 1 box strawberries
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons sugar

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake. 
Yield: 6 servings

note: the strawberries actually emitted juice and so the volume of the liquid in the pan tripled when it was cooked. Also, when I put the strawberries on the cheesecake, I discovered that I had so little strawberries, it did not cover the cake. So I decided to whip some cream to put in the middle.
WHIPPED CREAM:
1 cup cream 
1/4 cup powdered sugar  (if you don't have this, you can make some using a blender- just blend some granulated till it looks like powder)-- I actually skipped using the powdered sugar in this recipe since I was thinking it didn't need any extra sweetness)
Whip is high speed until hard peaks form:

This is the end result: the piping of the cream is a little messy because my daughter helped me pipe. hahaha. We are both practicing our piping skills with the new Wilton piping set we got as presents.

note 1: This is the first time I used oreos as a base of my cheesecake, I think I over pressed it when I put it in the pan. I had a hard time taking the crust out when I sliced it. (it got stuck) So, don't get over enthusiastic on pressing the crust down. Also, go easy on spreading the syrup of the compote. I went overboard and it spilled over in the refrigerator.


note 2: if you want a denser cheesecake, (new york style) reduce the cream to 1 cup. My kids like it a little more softer


So, I'll wait for all the people I sent slices to to comment...meanwhile, I still have some chicken to fry.!