A few weeks ago I made a peppermint cheesecake using an easy gelatin based recipe from an old Philadelphia Cream Cheese booklet. We liked it so much that I decided to try another recipe from the book — a recipe with the intriguing title “Very Smooth Cheesecake”.
Maybe they meant to call it “Smoothie Cheesecake” because the flavor is similar to a strawberry smoothie. It’s a lovely pink color, with a very natural strawberry flavor. As for the texture, it’s smooth, but it does have more of a gelatin feel than the peppermint version. I’d think twice before serving it to a guest with gelatinophobia, whereas with the peppermint version, I’m pretty sure I could just slip it right by.
Smooth Strawberry Cheesecake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Smooth Strawberry Cheesecake
Author: Cookie Madness
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, if using unsalted then add a pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 (16 ounce) package of frozen strawberries, thawed
- About 2/3 cup milk -- amount will vary
- 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Extra sugar if making the puree
- Sweetened whipped cream (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the crumbs, sugar and butter and press into bottom of a 9 inch round cheesecake pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.
- In a metal bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Drain the juice from the thawed strawberries. Add enough milk to make 1 cup liquid, and stir into cream cheese mixture.
- Put the water in a small saucepan. Add the gelatin and stir over low heat until dissolved. Gradually add the dissolved gelatin to the cheesecake mixture.
- Divide the reserved strawberries in half. Puree about half of them and add to the batter. You will use the rest for the topping, so keep the processor handy.
- Fold the whipped cream into the batter, then pour the mixture into the cheesecake pan and chill for a few hours or until firm.
- To make the strawberry puree topping, puree the remaining strawberries and add sugar to taste. Garnish cheesecake with the strawberry puree and sweetened whipped cream.
AH! Now I can put a NAME to my condition! Although I think I might be able to tolerate gelatin such a lovely cheesecake. I just can’t look at Jell-O and dislike gelatinous substances in general.
Gelatinophobia! That’s a good one! I like the color of this cheesecake and I like any cheesecake with fruit! My mom loves jello. She ALWAYS has an uncovered bowl of jello in her refrigerator ready to eat. Don’t ask, it’s a long story.. BTW, I purchased the All Bran yesterday. Now just need to make the cookies!!!
looks sooooooo delicious!!!!!
by the way i like your blog, i just discovered it 🙂
Martina
PS. there is a giveaway on my blog with baking/cooking stuff, have a look:
http://homesweetbakery.blogspot.it/2012/11/giveaway.html