Baked Strawberry Cheesecake

Combine the cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Mix together well. Empty the cookie crumbs into a greased 9″ spring-form pan. Press the crumbs into the pan to form the base.

Wrap the bottom of the pan with 2-3 layers of foil for the water bath during baking. Place the pan into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and place into a saucepan on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of sugar to the mixture and stir until the sugar has melted.

Mix the cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons of water or until runny. Add the cornstarch into the strawberries, stirring continuously as the mixture boils for another 5 minutes. Remove from the stovetop. Allow the strawberry sauce to cool (place the pan into an ice bath for faster cooling).

Once cooled, blend the strawberry mixture in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Place the cream cheese into the bowl of your food processor and pulse to combine. Add a third of the can of condensed milk at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the blender during the process. Blend until mixture is completely combined. Add the lemon juice to the blender and blend well. Add the beaten eggs to the blender and beat on low until combined.

Preheat oven to 300 F. Retrieve the crust from the fridge. Pour half of the cheesecake mixture onto the crust. Carefully drop tablespoons of the strawberry sauce on top of the cheesecake mixture until the cheesecake mixture is completely covered. Using a spatula, carefully layer the rest of the cheesecake mixture on top of the strawberry sauce.

Place the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan that has been filled with water. Make sure the water only goes about halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. This will help to prevent the cheesecake top from cracking.

Bake at 300 F for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight.

Decorate with fresh strawberries and leftover strawberry sauce before serving.