Berry Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust :

• 1-¼ cup (110g) graham crackers
• 1/3 cup (75g) butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon (15g) sugar

For the filling:

• 2 (8 oz/225g) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 3 Tablespoons (45g) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ Tablespoon (10 ml) lemon juice, optional
• 2 large eggs

For the strawberry coulis:

• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) water
• 1 Tablespoon (13g) sugar
• 10 ounces (300g) strawberries, halved

Extra fresh berries, for serving

Instructions

For the crust:

• Mix the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with sugar and melted butter.
• Pack the mixture firmly into bottom and sides of 10.6-inch (27 cm) pie pan. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

For the filling:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
• Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Mix for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is thick and perfectly smooth (it’s the key to get a really creamy cheesecake).
• Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 65-70 minutes. Allow the cheesecake to cool for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

For the strawberry coulis:

• In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Add the strawberries and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until soft.
• Using a hand mixer, purée the mixture until smooth.
• Decorate the cheesecake with fresh berries of your choice, pour some berry coulis on top and enjoy!