Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Mix cracker crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 1 in. up sides of a 9-in. springform pan coated with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved; remove from heat., Hull strawberries if necessary; puree in a food processor. Remove to a bowl. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar substitute to food processor; process until smooth. While processing, gradually add gelatin mixture. Add pureed strawberries; process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl; fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Pour into crust. Refrigerate, covered, until set, 2-3 hours., Loosen sides of cheesecake with a knife; remove rim. To serve, top with chocolate topping, remaining whipped topping and quartered strawberries.

Steps:

• For the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Cut a 10-inch-by-5 1/2-inch strip of parchment.
• Prepare and bake the cake batter in the prepared pan according to the package directions for a 9-inch pan. Let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. Open the pan clasp, loosen the collar and slip in the parchment strip so it encircles the cake; it will come up about 2 inches higher than the edge. Close the clasp.
• Meanwhile, chop enough strawberries to make 2 cups. Toss with the sugar in a medium bowl and let sit until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries and sugar to a pulp (the mixture should be mostly smooth with a few chunks).
• Beat the cream cheese and 2 cups cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Bring 1/2 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan then whisk in the gelatin, stirring continuously, until dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Fold the cream-gelatin mixture into the strawberry mixture until combined. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the strawberry-gelatin mixture until combined. Pour on top of the cake and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Chill until set, 2 hours and up to overnight.
• For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the butter and the remaining 1 cup heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth.
• Dip each of the remaining strawberries into the chocolate halfway, twisting to let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let harden, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining chocolate.
• Open the pan clasp and remove the collar and parchment. Transfer the cake to a serving platter or cake stand. Reheat the reserved ganache in the microwave until it is pourable. Pour the ganache around the edge of the cake, smoothing it with an offset spatula and letting some drip down the sides. Place the chocolate-covered strawberries around the rim with the stems facing inward. Let stand until hardened, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Wash the strawberries. Then, slice the bottom point off the strawberry, so that it can stand up straight. Next, pluck the stem off. Using a paring knife or strawberry huller, scoop out the top to make room for the cheesecake.
• This is the most important step...dry off the strawberries individually with paper towels. If the strawberries are wet, the chocolate will not stick.
• Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or microwave. (Note: if using a microwave, only melt it in 20-second increments to make sure it doesn't burn). I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips.
• Line a cookie sheet (that will fit in your freezer) with waxed paper or a Silpat. Dip the bottom half of each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the lined pan. Once the pan is full, place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
• While the chocolate is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk, until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk.
• Spoon the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. If you don't have a piping bag, scoop it into a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Remove the strawberries from the freezer and pipe in the cheesecake filling. Top with a slivered almond and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• Hull strawberries if necessary, puree in a food processor. Remove and set aside. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water, let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Transfer to the food processor, add cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar. Cover and process until smooth.
• Add strawberry puree, cover and process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl, fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until set.
• For garnish, wash strawberries and gently pat with papertowels until completely dry. Cut tops off berries. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate at 50 percent power; stir until smooth. Dip each berry tip until half of the berry is coated, allowing excess to drip off. Place with tips pointing up on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loose; remove sides of pan. Arrange berries, chocolate tips up, around edge of cheesecake and place one in the center. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.