Sunday, January 20, 2013

Refrigerator Strawberry Cheesecake for Retro #SundaySupper

It is retro day for the #SundaySupper group.

I remember the first time I had strawberry cheesecake. I think I was 13 years old. Mom took my sister and I out for a day of shopping for our birthdays. (Sis’s is the day before mine.) We stopped in a restaurant and had a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Heaven!

I also remember the boxed no-bake Jello cheesecakes we would make at home. I liked those, too. But as I got older, I became a bit of a cheesecake snob, believing the only true and delicious cheesecake had to be baked.


Recently I promised a friend I would make him anything he wanted for his birthday. He chose strawberry cheesecake. His birthday was during the holiday season, and as it approached, I realized I would not have the time to do a traditional baked cheesecake. As I began to contemplate calling a bakery, the image of Nigella Lawson making an easy refrigerator version popped into my mind. Sure enough, her Nigella Express had the perfect solution.


Unfortunately, as you can see, my photos of this yummy cheesecake didn’t turn out as nicely as I wanted. Here is what it looks like from Nigella’s website. Her recipe is even easier since she uses a black cherry jam for the topping. (Something I’m going to try one day!) Her original recipe also uses digestive biscuits for the crust, which I’d also like to try. The recipe in the U.S. version of Nigella Express, which I used, calls for graham cracker crumbs instead.







Our friend loved his birthday cheesecake. Even The Picky Eater liked it, and he’s not a cheesecake fan!

This cheesecake will now be my go-to dessert when I need something special but I’m short on time.


Refrigerator Strawberry Cheesecake
Adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Cheesecake
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Topping
1 pound frozen strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
Pinch of salt
1/8 cup water

For the cheesecake, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Be sure to press some of the mixture 1/4-inch up the side to make an edge.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth.

In another large bowl, whip the cream until just it just begins to thicken. With a whisk, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon the mixture on top of the crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for three hours or overnight.

To serve, un-mold the cheesecake and spoon the strawberry topping on top.

For topping, place all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and bowl for one minute. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Spread on cheesecake just before serving, or place in a serving dish for guests to spoon on their individual slices.

Check out the other retro creations from my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers, and please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. This evening we will meet at 7 pm EST for our #SundaySupper live chat. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your retro recipe on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.


Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:
Sunday Supper Retro Salads:
Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:
SundaySupper Main Dishes:
Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:
Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:



 

20 comments:

  1. Yum! What a great recipe! This would be perfect for Valentine's Day!!

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  2. YUM! I love that strawberry topping! And I think your version looks amazing!

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  3. Another fabulous dessert that I haven't had forever!!

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  4. Photos schmotos - it's all about the yum factor!

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  5. I absolutely love no-bake cheesecakes that have no gelatin. This sounds scrumptious and the topping is wonderful!

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  6. YESSSSSS!!!! I love cheesecake! It is a classic - and SO yummy!!!

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  7. I can attest to the wonderfulness of a digestive biscuit crust. I hope you get to try it one of these days.

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  8. I love a fluffy no-bake cheesecake...there's no such thing as a not-good cheesecake in my book!!

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  9. Yeah, you had me at cheesecake! YUM! Great share for #SundaySupper!

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  10. This is the type of cheesecake I prefer. It's a lot lighter than the heavy baked ones. Great topping too.

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  11. This is one of my hubby's favorite desserts...I haven't made one in far too long, Thanks for reminding me it looks so good.

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  12. Linda, my specialty back in high school was a no-bake cheesecake with a strawberry sauce. I haven't made that in 14 years! I'm drooling over your photos ... I think you've inspired me to make this again.

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  13. No bake cheesecake??? YES! Where has this been all my life?

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  14. Your cheesecake looks like one of those desserts you immediately want to dig a spoon or fork into. In other words, one where this Ninja Baker would have to contain herself and mind her manners =)

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  15. I totally prefer no bake cheesecake to the baked kind. I love the cool creaminess!

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  16. Wow…this looks luscious! Simply beautiful!

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