NY Cheesecake...with a thick Oreo Crust and Strawberries

I am screaming for spring, like consistently warm weather, flowers blooming, lets actually eat outside on the terrace, spring.  After getting caught up with a longtime friend today, and departing brunch, DC is finally starting to feel like spring. But..oh wait is it supposed to snow on Monday...AGAIN...didn't it just snow like 6 inches this past Monday?!?  I am a bit over this "winter" thing and am super glad a co-worker requested strawberries in her birthday dessert, because it was a little way to sneak some spring...since it is officially...into this dessert.

I have been slowly trying to sneak more spring into my life in general this past week.  There were flowers purchased to continue practicing for making bouquets in two months.  There were bright green pants on the first day of spring...and yes I have been wearing flip flops lately... I even wore shorts this past weekend for the half marathon...yes it snowed two days later but still.

So after getting another snow day Monday, where working from home was a must, I put on my ski jacket and boots and went for a quick walk to the store for the ingredients for this cheesecake around 5pm.  I will be upfront here...I am not a huge cheesecake fan...definitely not my dessert of choice, but the birthday girl gets what the birthday girls wants.  Plus, I have to say this turned out pretty dang delicious.  Not overly sweet, the thick Oreo crust was delicious, you really don't taste the layer of Oreo cream filling, but it is fun knowing its there...and when can you go wrong with strawberries?  If I make a New York style cheesecake again I will definitely be using this recipe!  So give it a try sometime and enjoy!

Crust...this is a seriously thick Oreo crust...BUT it makes the cheesecake!

Layer of Oreo cream...I just couldn't let it go to waste, even if you can't really taste it once the cheesecake is baked.

From the top...

and from the side.

New York Style Cheesecake with Oreo Crust and Strawberries: (Recipe adapted from Chantal's New York Cheesecake)

1 package family size original Oreos, cream scraped and saved, Oreos crushed into crumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 container strawberries, rinsed and sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

2.  In a medium bowl, mix Oreo crumbs with melted butter.  Press onto bottom of springform pan.

3.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.  Then blend in milk, and mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. 

4.  Mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

5.  Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.  Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking.  (If it still cracks, mine did, no big deal...you are covering with strawberries)  Chill in refrigerator until serving.  Just before serving, rinse and slice the strawberries. Go ahead and do the full container and serve the extras on the side.  I decorated from the outside in to create the flower effect, but feel free to decorate as desired or just serve the strawberries on the side.  Enjoy!