Cheesecake of the Month — July 2014!

Here is another cheesecake perfectly suited for the summer (as long as you are able to find fresh strawberries).  The addition of red wine to the recipe is certainly not a bad thing either.  Enjoy!

Double Strawberry Cheesecake

For the crust:
8 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling:
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons) powdered gelatin
2 packages cream cheese (8-ounces each), softened
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup goat cheese broken into pieces and softened
1 pound fresh strawberries, chopped (save some as either whole or sliced for garnishing later)

Directions:
1.  Prepare the crust: in a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth (about 1 minute) then beat in the honey.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon.  With the mixer running (low speed), add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture gradually (not all at once) — a couple of batches.  Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours (or overnight).

3.  Place the dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.  Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch.  If the dough becomes too sticky, return it to the refrigerator until it firms back up.  Transfer the dough to a 9″ springform pan.  Press onto the bottom and up the sides.  Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate for twenty minutes.

4.  Heat the over to 325 degrees.  Place the pan on a baking sheet  and bake until the crust is golden and dry to the touch (about 25 minutes).  Cool completely on a wire rack.

5.  Meanwhile, prepare the filling: put the red wine in a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top.  Let it sit there for about five minutes, until the gelatin is absorbed.  Put the pan over low heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves.  Don’t let the gelatin boil (this will impede the gelling process).  Let cool.

6.  With your electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and goat cheese and blend until smooth.  Stop occasionally  to scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again.  Add the chopped berries and gelatin mixture and blend until incorporated (the berries will break down into almost puree, but this is fine).  Scrape the mixture into your cooled crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (at least six hours or overnight).  Garnish with strawberries before serving.