Strawberry Basque Cheesecake

The dessert table just got a major upgrade! Enjoy a creamy, custardy interior with every bite plus a boost of protein thanks to Good Culture cottage cheese. Make it for your next family dinner or weekend brunch and watch it disappear.

Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients:

Strawberry Cottage Cheese Basque Cheesecake

• ½ cup of freeze dried strawberries (20 grams)
• 3 cups of Good Culture cottage cheese (660grams)
• 1 ¾ cup of sugar (350grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of cold heavy cream (240grams)
• ¼ cup of cornstarch (30grams)
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Strawberry Topping

• 1 cup cored and quartered strawberries
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping

• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup of powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Strawberry Basque Cheesecake

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F degrees.
2. Prepare a 9 inch wide cheesecake pan by lining it with parchment paper. Unclasp the pan and place a piece of parchment paper which is larger than the base of the cheesecake. Clasp the pan back over the lined base. Once the base is lined and taught, cut any excess paper hanging. For the edges of the pan, cut a strip of parchment, which is longer than the circumference of the pan, and which is wider than the height of the cheesecake pan. It’s okay if strip of parchment overlaps. Set aside.
3. Add the cottage cheese, freeze dried strawberries, white sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice to the blender and blend everything until fully smooth.
4. Once smooth, pour the cottage cheese mixture into a large bowl.
5. Crack the eggs into the bowl and on medium low speed beat the cottage cheese mixture with the eggs until the mixture is smooth.Do not over beat the eggs. Over beating the eggs creates excess air the cheesecake which causes the cheesecake to inflate and deflate too rapidly in the oven, leading to a collapsed cheesecake.
6. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
7. Add about 1 cup of the cottage cheese batter (doesn’t need to be exact) into the cornstarch mixture and mix until combined. Note: This step helps incorporate the dry mixture with the wet mixture without creating dry pockets of cornstarch.
8. Add the cornstarch cottage cheese mixture into the cottage cheese batter and stir until fully mixed.
9. Place the cheesecake pan over a sheet pan to catch any spills. Then pour the cheesecake batter into the lined pan and tap a few times to remove any air bubbles.
10. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes. The edges should be set but the center should be jiggly and wobbly. Note: If the top is not brown yet, that’s okay pull it out still. Over baking will lead to tough grainy texture.
11. Let the cheesecake to cool at room temperature. Once cool, let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours in the fridge.
12. Once chilled and ready to serve, you can remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan, remove the parchment and place on your desired serving plate.

Strawberry Topping

1. To make the strawberry topping, mix the strawberries, white sugar and vanilla extract until just combined. Let them rest for few minutes to help the sugar marinate into the strawberries. Set aside.

Whipped Cream Topping + Serving

1. Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt for a simple whipped cream topping to cover any cracks or imperfections on the cheesecake.
2. Spoon the whipped cream on the chilled cheesecake andspoon over the strawberry topping.
3. Slice and enjoy! Any leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.