I have only made this recipe one time. It takes a lot more patience and uses a lot more dishes than the recipes I normally make but the result is worth the effort. This recipe is from the last supper with my friends Kim and Nathalie. Kim found the recipe on epicurious.com, but it was originally published in the April 2000 issue of Bon Appétit.
Crust:
1 9-oz. package chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 lb. good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. whipping cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla
Topping:
3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 C. apricot preserves
2 Tbsp. water
For crust: Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter 10-inch springform pan. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.
For filling: Stir white chocolate in top of double broiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, then salt; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, whipping cream, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add melted white chocolate, beating until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into crust.
Bake cake until top begins to brown but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Open oven door slightly; turn off oven. Leave cake in oven 30 minutes. Chill cake uncovered overnight.
Run small knife between pan sides and cake. Release pan sides. Starting at outer edge of top of cake, arrange strawberry halves in slightly overlapping concentric circles, covering top completely. Stir preserves and water in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain preserves. Brush glaze generously over strawberries, allowing some glaze to drip between berries. Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Notes: Bake this at least one day ahead but it can be made two days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. I do not own a double broiler; instead I melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with water (I'm sure you could melt it in the microwave, too). For the crust, I used chocolate Nilla Wafers, but I don't think Nabisco makes them anymore. I'm assuming you could probably use Oreo cookies, but I think Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are what the recipe is specifying. Also, the recipe makes a ton of filling, so much that it doesn't all fit in the pan and I had to throw some away. If I made this recipe more often, I would probably toy with the measurements a little bit (maybe half the recipe and use a smaller springform pan?). My friend Cristy taught me a trick for hulling strawberries if you don't have this gem from Pampered Chef: push a stiff straw straight up from the bottom of the strawberry through the top. Although I haven't tried this, I have a note written on the recipe to place a 9- x 13-inch pan with at least one inch of water on the rack below the cheesecake while it is baking. This will keep the oven moist and will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
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