RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Cheesecake, Strawberry-Glazed - dairy
A few weeks ago, Ruth Heiges asked everyone to contribute his/her favorite cheesecake in time for Shavuot. Since then, I have been hunting through all my files looking for this recipe. At last I found it! It's too late for Shavuot this year, but the recipe is delicious any time. The first time I served this cheesecake was not a Jewish holiday. When the US hostages were released from Iran during the Carter administration, I had people over for dessert and champagne to celebrate. This was the dessert I served. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * Strawberry-Glazed Cheesecake Crust: 3/4 cup coarsely ground walnuts 3/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter Filling: 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature 4 eggs 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons vanilla Topping: 2 cups sour cream 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Glaze: 1 quart medium strawberries 1 (12 oz.) jar red raspberry jelly 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 cup orange flavor liqueur 1/4 cup water Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. LIghtly butter 9 or 10 inch springform pan. For crust: Combine walnuts, graham cracker crumbs, and butter. Press compactly onto bottom of pan. For filling: Beat cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Spoon over crust. Set pan on baking sheet to catch any butter that may drip out. Bake 10 inch cake 40-45 minutes or bake 9 inch cake 50-55 minutes. (Cake may rise slightly and crack in several areas: it will settle again, cracks will minimize, and topping will cover it up. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Retain oven temperature at 350 degrees. For topping: Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla and blend well. When cheescake has finished baking, spoon topping over, starting at center and extending to within 1/2 inch of edge. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 24 hours (up to 3 days). For glaze: Several hours before serving, wash and hull strawberries. Let dry completely on paper towels. Combine red raspberry jelly with cornstarch in saucepan and mix well. Add orange flavor liqueur and water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until thickened and clear (about 5 minutes). Assembly: Remove cake from springform pan. Arrange berries attractively on top. Drizzle glaze over strawberries.
