The other day while I was checking my email, there sat a recipe from myrecipes.com for a homemade mac and cheese. So when I clicked for the recipe, this deliciousness of a picture was staring me in the face from the sidebar. I was drooling...
After reading the recipe, I decided it sounded like some work, but overall not too difficult. So for the sake of having to search for the steps to make this awesomeness here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
*Spring form pan (A MUST! $14.99 at Macy's, but I'm sure you can find them cheaper)
*1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
*4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
*1 1/4 cups sugar
*1/4 cup all-purpose flour
*5 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
*1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*5 large eggs, at room temperature
*1 cup sour cream
*2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
*1 1/2 (16 oz) packages fresh small strawberries, hulled
*1/4 cup sugar
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
*2 teaspoons cornstarch
*Position a rack in middle of oven preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.
Part One:
1. First you want to make your crust. So in a bowl, mix together your graham cracker crumbs (you make these by mashing them up in a big Ziploc bag), the melted unsalted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar. Then press this mixture into the bottom of pan.
2. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Then wrap outside of pan with two sheets of aluminum foil.
Part Two:
1. Mix 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar mixture and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Mix in sour cream and lemon zest.
2. Transfer batter to spring form pan; place in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into a roasting pan to 2 inches deep. Bake until set but still jiggly in center, 1 hour and 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set spring form pan on rack to cool. When cool, run a sharp knife around edge. Remove foil and refrigerate, loosely covered, for 8 hours.
Part Three:
1. 1 1/2 hours before serving, arrange 1 box of strawberries (pointed ends up) on top of cheesecake. Slice remaining berries.
2. Take the sliced remaining berries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, dissolve 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 2 teaspoons water.
3. Stir cornstarch into berry mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Strain mixture (using a fine strainer) over a bowl, pressing on solids.
4. Let glaze cool. Brush berries with glaze. Refrigerate cake for 1 hour.
I didn't take too many pictures, because I figured I was going to flop this one.
So here are a few of mine...
Definitely not as pretty as the picture from myrecipes.com, but it sure was tasty. I made it Tuesday night, and I am proud to say there is only about a 2-inch thick piece left!
