Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Prepare 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.

Fill broiler pan with about 2 inches of water and place in BOTTOM of oven, on lowest rack. Preheat oven (with broiler pan of water) to 325°F.

To make the crust, blend cookies and sugar in food processor until fine crumbs. Pour in melted butter and pulse several times until combined. Press crust into bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (I go up about 1 inch on the sides). Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse freeze dried strawberries until crumbs. It's okay if there are a few larger crumbs.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.. Add in freeze dried strawberry crumbs, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat for an additional 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Slowly add eggs, one at a time until mixture is smooth. Do not over beat. Pour into prepared crust.

Place cheesecake pan into the middle of the oven, I do the third shelf from bottom in my oven.

Bake 70 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Turn off oven, crack door open, and let sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife gently along the edges to separate the cheesecake from the pan (do not remove the ring yet). Allow to cool on counter (in pan) for about 30 minutes, then place (in pan) in refrigerator for about 6 hours (or overnight).

To serve, remove outer ring of springform pan. Spread Cool Whip over the top (or just dollop along the edges) and serve with diced strawberries in the center.