Cheesecake Topped with Strawberries

A bit of almond accents this luscious cheesecake baked on a nutty crust and beautifully topped with glistening strawberries.

Ingredients

Crust:

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

36 vanilla wafer cookies

1/4 cup whole almonds

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:

1 (16-ounce) box strawberries

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

Honey Tips

Honey Is Sweeter Than Sugar

Due to the high level of fructose, honey is 25% sweeter than table sugar.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Crust:
In a small saucepan bring butter and honey to a boil. Set aside.
Finely grind vanilla wafers in food processor. Add nuts, salt, melted honey and butter. Process until nuts are finely chopped. Press mixture onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
Bake crust about 12 minutes until golden. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
Filling:
Place cream cheese and ricotta cheese in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add honey and sugar. Mix to combine. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in almond extract. Pour filling into cooled crust.
Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes or until golden and center moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken. Transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate. Can be prepared 1 day ahead.
Topping:
Trim strawberries and cut into quarters. Drizzle honey over berries. Stir gently.
To serve:
Run a knife around side of pan to loosen. Release sides of pan. Transfer cheesecake to a platter. Top with berries.
Serves: 12