Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Every year, our neighbor shares his strawberry crop with us, and I have so many strawberry recipes saved for just this reason. That knock on the door, that smiling neighbor, and those juicy, ripe strawberries are something I look forward to every single year, and I waste no time in getting into the kitchen and making something delicious with my bounty. As soon as I saw this pie, I knew it would be the perfect use for some of the strawberries (because, let's be honest, most of them we just pop into our mouths like candy).

Reeni wrote an adorable post to go with this recipe, in which she shared that she has hang-ups about cooked, mushy strawberries, and thus was less than impressed with this dessert. I have no such hang-ups, so I knew I'd love this, and I did. The strawberries really weren't the star for me, though; what I loved most was the fluffy, lemony cheesecake that surrounded them. If you don't like the texture of cooked strawberries, just bake the cheesecake pie without them, and top each individual serving with sliced strawberries that have been macerated in some sugar. For me, you really can't go wrong either way.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 pint strawberries, ends trimmed

2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the strawberries cut side down evenly over the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor, process eggs and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, pulse to break up and then process until smooth. Add sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and vanilla. Process just until smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour the filling carefully over the strawberries.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top looks firm and is set when you gently shake the pan. Cool on wire rack, then cover and chill completely before serving. Slice with a warm knife, wiping clean after each cut.