Cold strawberry cheesecake, a simple and indulgent idea created for International Women’s Day but perfect for any occasion. As you probably know, cheesecake is a cheese-based cake made with a base of crushed cookies, originally American. Over the years it has become very popular here as well and has been offered in many different variations. It can easily be made lactose-free and gluten-free by using the cookie base you prefer, and in this case it’s perfect for recycling those broken cookie pieces that no one ever wants. Below I also leave my baked cheesecakes and at the end of the recipe I answer the most common questions about this type of dessert.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Budget-friendly
Rest time: 3 Hours
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Portions: springform pan 9.5 in
Cooking methods: Microwave
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Spring, Summer, International Women's Day

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups plain crunchy cookies (crushed)
7 tbsp butter (melted)
1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
9 oz mascarpone
9 oz cream cheese (spreadable)
3 tbsp powdered sugar
10 strawberries
3 sheets gelatin sheets
1/2 cup plain crunchy cookies (for topping, crushed)
1 tbsp powdered sugar (for the strawberry cream)
3 strawberries (for decoration and strawberry cream)

Tools

1 Food processor
1 Spoon
1 Electric whisk
1 Springform pan
2 Spatulas
2 Bowls
1 Small bowl
1 Knife

Steps

To make the cold strawberry cheesecake, first melt the butter however you prefer. I used the microwave at the lowest power for 45 seconds in two sessions. Meanwhile, crush the plain cookies in a food processor until you obtain a fine powder. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and mix well until fully incorporated. Line the base of the pan with a circle of parchment paper that you can secure later by closing the springform ring. Pour the cookie base into the pan and press down firmly with a spoon or fork until compact and even. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with an electric whisk until you achieve very stiff peaks. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese with the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and the strawberries washed and cut into small cubes, then mix with the electric whisk until you obtain a smooth cream.
Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture using a spatula with gentle upward motions to avoid deflating the mixture. Put two tablespoons of the cream into a small bowl and add the well-drained gelatin, then dissolve it in a bain-marie or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the dissolved gelatin to the reserved cheese cream and mix very well.
Retrieve the cookie base from the fridge and pour in the prepared cream. Level it with a spatula (preferably metal) and place it back in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the garnish by crushing the remaining cookies and blending two strawberries with the powdered sugar. Once the cheesecake has set, cover the surface with the crushed cookies, place a strawberry cut into pieces on top, and pipe or spread the strawberry cream around the edges. I also used some small sugar sprinkles, but you can skip those if you prefer.
You can keep the cake refrigerated for up to three days after preparation, ideally before decorating it. I recommend doing the final decoration only at the end, just before serving.