Lime Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Last week was the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot means a lot of things to a lot of people, but I'm going to inch out in to heresy here and say that to me, Shavuot means cheesecake. Cheesecake, cheesecake, cheesecake. Seriously, I started thinking about cheesecake in March. And I made them* in June.

I'm experiencing a minor obsession with lime these days. Including constant dreams about key lime tart.So I knew I wanted lime in my cheesecake, especially since the sweet, tart citrus-y taste pairs so well with the creamy, tangy cream cheese. 

I added in a little strawberry puree swirl, and voila, cheesecake. My cheesecakes always seem to crack on me, and this one was no exception, but it cracked along my strawberry puree lines, so it looked fairly normal. No, I didn't bake it in a water bath - that seems like too much effort (even for me, who once remade caramel 7 times.)

Dig in! The greek yogurt in this recipe gives the cheesecake a nice, lighter texture and taste, which is a change from some of the heavier denser cheesecakes (like the other one I made.)
*Yes, them. You didn't think I'd only make one cheesecake did you?

Tip of the Day:Some springform pans have a tendency to leak - especially if there is melted butter in the crust. Simply wrap the base in foil before placing it in the oven - it won't affect the baking time.

Recipe: 

18 graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces greek yogurt (I used fat free)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup lime juice (3 limes)
zest of 3 limes
1 cup sugar

8 ounces strawberries, fresh or frozen (slightly thawed if frozen)
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press in to the bottom of a 10" springform pan and set aside.   

Stir together the sugar and lime zest and set aside. 
Beat together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add in the lime juice and mix well. Add the sugar and zest mixture and beat until smooth. 

Puree the strawberries and sugar together until smooth. (If desired, strain to remove seeds.)

Pour half the lime mixture in to the prepared crust. Dollop half the strawberry mixture on top, and swirl with a knife. Repeat with the remaining lime and strawberry mixtures.

Bake on 350 F for 60 to 70 minutes, until the center is still slightly jiggly.