White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake

Crust:

Filling:

For crust: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325. Butter 10" springform cake pan. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add melted butter and process until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2" up sides of pan. Bake until set, 15 minutes.

For filling: Put white chocolate in glass bowl and heat in microwave 2 ½ minutes; remove and stir until completely smooth. Cool to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, then salt; beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, whipping cream, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add melted white chocolate, beating until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into crust.

Bake cake until top begins to brown but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Open oven door slightly; turn off oven. Leave cake in oven 30 minutes. Chill cake uncovered overnight.

Topping;

Run small knife between pan sides and cake and release pan sides. Starting at outer edge of top of cake, arrange strawberry halves in slightly overlapping concentric circles (first row down, second row up, etc.) until top of cake is completely covered.

Stir preserves and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain preserves. Brush glaze generously over strawberries, allowing some to drip between berries. Refrigerate until very cold.

NOTE: This is in the April 2003 Bon Appetit. It was served at my daughter’s baby shower; and I made it for my book club, and it was a big hit both places! I did feel like the one-half cup of butter was a bit too much, as it leaked out of the bottom of the pan while it was cooking and while I was cooling it in the refrigerator. It says you can make the cake part two days ahead and the glaze 4 hours ahead. I made the cake a day ahead, as well as the glaze, after the cake had chilled for several hours. I also mixed the filling in my 8 cup Tupperware bowl with the handle which I got back in the ‘70s. It was completely full when all the ingredients were in it, but it did not over flow. It was nice being able to hold onto the handle while mixing the ingredients.