Brown Butter Strawberry Vanilla Cheesecake

I love a cheesecake, and a vanilla strawberry cheesecake was calling to me; however, I had to make it extra, so I added browned butter, and my goodness, it adds a whole new depth of flavour! The fresh strawberries cut through the richness of the creamy browned butter cheesecake, and the Graham cookie crust gives that classic crumbly base. This is a perfect dessert for your next dinner party!

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 2 cups crushed Graham cookies

• ½ cup browned butter

For the cheesecake:

• 500g cream cheese

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• ¼ cup brown butter

• ½ cup plain yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

To serve:

• 1 lb fresh strawberries

• Edible flowers and mint to garnish (optional)

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Method:

For the base:

1. First, brown the butter by melting 1 cup of butter (it will reduce slightly as the butter bubbles) in a pan over medium heat. While stirring occasionally, allow the butter to bubble gently until it eventually becomes foamy, and then the curds start browning. Turn off the heat and scrape off any brown bits from the bottom.

2. Measure out ½ cup browned butter, trying to get most of the yellow liquid and leaving the brown bits behind.

3. Combine the crushed Graham cookies and the ½ cup of yellow liquid browned butter.

4. Press into a lined 9” springform tin (ensuring that the tin seals well), then set it in the fridge to set while you prepare the filling.

For the cheesecake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

2. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar using a whisk.

3. Add 1 egg at a time and whisk to combine.

4. Add in the ¼ cup of browned butter (this time, getting as much of the browned bits as possible) and mix through.

5. Mix in the yogurt, vanilla bean paste, and salt, and whisk until smooth.

6. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the Graham cracker base.

7. Fill a large baking dish with water until about halfway, then place the cheesecake in the middle.

8. Place the cheesecake in its water bath in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

9. Set the cheesecake, still in the water bath, on the counter until it cools fully. Set in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight to fully cool.

10. Hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters, then pile them on top of the cheesecake. Garnish with edible flowers and mint. Enjoy!