Strawberry Cheesecake

This is an update to my very first post. My Low Carb Cheesecake has been quite popular and I felt it was time to update it with a strawberry topping and pecan crust. Another reason for updating this recipe is that my camera skills are finally getting better. With the help of two large flood lights I now have more natural light in my kitchen. As you can see from my original post of this recipe my cheesecake looked a little to yellow. I like adding the strawberry topping because although this cheesecake is beyond sinful it doesn’t always present that well as a whole. The four eggs in the recipe help with the firm New York cheesecake setup, but it always cracks on the top. The strawberry topping helps to hide this flaw when you want to display the whole cheesecake as a birthday cake. And this is exactly what it will be used for tonight, in our home, for my Dad’s birthday along with a special meal of Marinated Pork Loin with Pan Gravy and Cauliflower Mash. Happy Birthday Dad!

Cheesecake Filling:

• 5 pkges Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Vanilla Extract
• 4 Eggs

Crust:

• 1/2 cup Roasted Unsalted Pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Strawberry Topping:

• 1 cup Frozen Strawberries
• 1 teaspoon Splenda (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 320°f
2. Add cream cheese, Splenda, sour cream and vanilla to a mixer. 
3. Blend till smooth. 
4. Add eggs. 
5. Beat until smooth. 
6. In a food processor combine pecans and cinnamon. 
7. Pulse until pecans are grounded down.
8. Spray a 9inch spring-form pan with Pam.
9. Add ground pecans to the pan. 
10. Press into the bottom of the pan.
11. Pour in filling and bake for 50 to 55 mins or until set.
12. Chill for at least 4 hours.
13. In a small sauté pan add defrosted strawberries and their juice. 
14. On low sauté the strawberries with the Splenda.
15. As you cook down the strawberries mash them.
16. After about 10 minutes the strawberries should be reduced and a slightly thick sauce. 
17. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until you are ready to serve the cheesecake.
18. Un-spring the cheesecake spring-form pan and top with the strawberries. 
19. Enjoy!