Vanilla cheesecake

I ordered Juniors Cheesecake Factory book in 2007. It came as a shock to see its small size. It fit in my pocket, but I was expecting a big and beautiful book for $ 20. For a while I was offended and did not use the book, but then I had enough sense to realize that this does not do me any good. So a day came when I picked up the book, opened it, and baked a vanilla cheesecake – my first real one. And so it will always remain my favorite cheesecake; today, already made my way. With lots of strawberries and a silky taste.

base:
250 g whole grain biscuits, or if shortbread – 190 g biscuits and 60 g hazelnuts
90 g butter, melted

filling:
850 g cream cheese, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds
pinch of sea salt
40 g cornstarch
200 g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
300 g whipping cream


Heat the oven to 200° from top and bottom. Place the baking rack on level down from the middle. Line a cake pan (23 cm diameter) with baking paper.

For the base, process the cookies to a fine crumb, add butter, and mix. Put in the bottom of the pan and make level - about 5 mm thick. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare the filling. Put cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a mixer bowl. Whip with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes until the mass is smooth, scraping down the sides from time to time. Add cornstarch and whisk for one more minute. While continuing to whip, gradually add the sugar (in 3 parts), whipping for about a minute after adding each part.

Then, as the mixer is running on medium, add one egg and incorporate well, mixing for a minute. Stop the mixer, scrape off the sides, and continue in the same manner with all of the eggs, adding one by one.

While the mixer is still running, add the cream, beating well at a low speed, but only until a homogeneous mass is formed.

Pour the filling on the cookie base and put it in the oven. Turn down the oven temp to 140°. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes without opening the door (it should jiggle just a bit in the middle). Remove the cake from the oven and cool to room temperature. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6h, preferably 12h.

Decorate with berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or pistachios and dried berries.