It so happens that I decided to make my first cheesecake when Hurricane Alex was nearing South Texas, resulting in empty grocery store shelves as people stocked up. So for the first cheesecake of July, I looked for a recipe that called for as few ingredients as possible. Thankfully, I found the two ingredients I was missing for one of the simplest fruity cheesecake I could find: a strawberry swirl cheesecake (to access the recipe, first click on the link and then on the photo of the cheesecake bars).
Measuring it up (maximum score of 4):
- Cheese Factor - 4. There were very few ingredients in the cheese mixture, yet the lemony taste and smooth texture were fantastic! (I used regular cream cheese instead of the reduced fat the recipe calls for.)
- Melding of Ingredients -3. The strawberry topping and citrusy cheese filling make an excellent combination! The strawberry jam also created a semi-gooey crust on top, which worked well with the smoothness of the cheese and the crunchier crust as I bit into the cheesecake. However, the graham cracker crust was a bit crumbly (more butter? Since posting this, I've also found that most cheesecakes call for baking the crust for 10 min. before putting in the filling... the solution is to be discovered!).
- Doability - 3. It's pretty simple, but I needed more butter and probably should have covered the cheesecake during baking (or maybe placed it on a lower shelf)?
- Attractiveness - 2. I probably should have covered the cheesecake during baking. It looked pretty before I baked it. Afterward, my husband commented that the top looked like caramelized onions.
Overall - 3. A yummy, inexpensive, and relatively simple cheesecake to make.
Tips for another undertaking:
I'll need more butter for the graham cracker crust than the recipe calls for.... at least one stick. Also, 40 min. was not enough baking time - after finding the cheesecake was still jello-y in the center, I ended up baking it for 10 more minutes at 350 F. Lastly, my cheesecake browned in the oven - I need to bake it on a lower rack or cover it with foil. If you try it, me know how it goes! Next time I'll swirl less... I like the way it turned out in the original photo!
As another afterthought, I'm thinking this recipe is so simple to make, it would be fun to try it with different flavors of jam (or combine more than one flavor!). If I make it again, I'd add lime juice instead of lemon juice to the cheese filling, and use an orange or guava jam on top.
I'll need more butter for the graham cracker crust than the recipe calls for.... at least one stick. Also, 40 min. was not enough baking time - after finding the cheesecake was still jello-y in the center, I ended up baking it for 10 more minutes at 350 F. Lastly, my cheesecake browned in the oven - I need to bake it on a lower rack or cover it with foil. If you try it, me know how it goes! Next time I'll swirl less... I like the way it turned out in the original photo!
As another afterthought, I'm thinking this recipe is so simple to make, it would be fun to try it with different flavors of jam (or combine more than one flavor!). If I make it again, I'd add lime juice instead of lemon juice to the cheese filling, and use an orange or guava jam on top.
Gettin' ready...
Lookin' pretty before the baking
Cheesecake... or caramelized onions?
Ready, set, yum!
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