A rich creamy vanilla and strawberry cheesecake I made the other day with the most perfect salted caramel dark chocolate cookie dough crust.
After my peanut butter cookie dough crust worked so well the other day, I decided to make another version with dark chocolate this time.ย I just canโt get over how easy and delicious using a quick homemade cookie dough is, not to mention a bit healthier than using pre-made biscuits.
P.S.: And just a random tip: add a good dash of sprinkles to the mixture (like hundreds and thousands – I used some from Morrisons which are gluten free). I did this in an attempt to make a funfetti type of cheesecake a while back and it completely failed (they all melted instantly lol), but it did something to the texture of the cake (probably due to the maize starch and beeswax in it). And it ended up being the best cheesecake Iโve ever made despite using the same exact recipe!
Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe:
- 335g plain cream cheese
- 55g soured cream (or plain Greek-style yoghurt + ½ tsp cider vinegar)
- 120g fresh strawberries (mashed)
- 80g granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tbsp (20-30g) plain all purpose gluten free flour (I used Doves Farm)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 70g plain all purpose gluten free flour
- 10g brown sugar
- 40g dark chocolate (I used a salted caramel flavoured one from Lidl)
- 25g butter
- Sweetened cream cheese (or whipped cream)
- Fresh berries
- Sprinkle of icing sugar
10 mins at 220C (425F)
+
25 mins at 110C (230F)
+
1 to 2 hours (just sitting in the oven with the heat turned off and the door closed)
* If you want a thicker crust, double up the cookie dough recipe.
Directions
- Make the cookie dough: melt the butter in the microwave first (in 10 second increments) and then stir in your dark chocolate (broken into smaller pieces to make the process easier). Keep microwaving for 10 more seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate has fully melted. Then add the sugar and flour and stir until the dough starts to come together, then knead until you have a smooth dough ball.
- Prepare the filling:ย Mash or blend your strawberries and then add the cream cheese, soured cream (or Greek yoghurt and vinegar substitute), sugar, vanilla, salt and flour and whisk until smooth and lump free (except the strawberry bits). Then finally whisk in the egg.
- Prep the cheesecake: grease an oven dish or cake tin with butter or oil and add a sheet of baking paper (large enough to cover both the bottom and sides). This makes removing and slicing the cake so much easier. Then squish the chocolate cookie dough evenly at the bottom of the pan and pour the strawberry cheesecake filling on top.
- Bake the cheesecake:ย bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 220C (428F). Then lower the heat to 110C (230F) and keep cooking for another 25 minutes. Finally, turn the heat off completely and let the cake sit in oven (with the door closed) for one to two hours to allow it to cool down and finish baking.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake: cover the cheesecake with cling film or foil and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) before serving.
- For the toppings:ย I kept it simple with sweetened cream cheese (you could also use whipped cream), fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Enjoy!
๐
Kimi x
