Strawberries-And-Cream Cheesecake

Submitted by TattooedMamaof2

"A lot of work goes into this, but it's worth the effort"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs strawberries, hulled
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1⁄2 cups graham crackers, finely ground (about 4 sheets)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lb cream cheese, room temp
• 13 ounces cream cheese, room temp
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
• 8 3⁄4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temp

directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat. Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly, about 1 hour. Transfer berries and syrup to a medium bowl, and mash. Let cool completely.
2. Raise oven temperature to 350°F Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 T sugar, and the melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until crust is firm to the touch and has just darkened, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let crust cool completely.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F Put cream cheese into a bowl, mix on medium-low with a mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then gradually add remaining cup sugar and salt. Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides and mix in the vanilla seeds and marscapone until no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to the bowl with the mashed strawberries; stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust and smooth. Carefully spoon dollops of plain cream cheese mixture on top, smooth.
5. Wrap the exterior of the pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with boiling water until it has reached halfway up the sides of the springform.
6. Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour. Remove from water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours up to overnight.