Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

This is pretty simply described..... HEAVEN!!!!  Every Thanksgiving I try to come up with a cheesecake I haven't made yet.  Last year it was just cheesecake completely coated in raspberry sauce and white chocolate curls.  This year definitely topped it.  The only thing I would change is adding more strawberry puree to the cheesecake itself.  Best part about this is that I made a couple of mistakes that turned out wonderful thus giving me complete creative license to call this my own.

Crust, this is simply a homemade brownie also my first mistake....I forgot to buy brownie mix.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Melt the butter in the microwave.  Mix in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder and add to wet ingredients.  Pour into a greased spring form pan and bake on 35 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake mixture, mistake #2.  I used the recipe from my Junior's Cheesecakes cookbook but added an extra egg because I use my own eggs, layed by my chickens and they are medium instead of the extra large called for.  Also I forgot to add the whipping cream.  So....... here is "my" recipe.  I must say it was soooo yummy!

Four packages 8 oz. cream cheese

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 eggs

I put everything in a food processor and just let it run until smooth.  Pour on top of brownie mix which is undercooked, don't make the mistake of overcooking it.

Strawberry puree, I only used a cup but I think more would be better.

2 cups frozen strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

Defrost strawberries in microwave and place in blender with sugar.  Blend until pureed.  I then poured it into a ziploc bag, snipped a corner and swirled it around the cheesecake.  Use a knife and cut it through the cheesecake mixing the strawberry through out.  Bake on 350 degrees aproximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until the top is set and light brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Place in refrigerator for as long as possible, at least 4 or 5 hours.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat whipping cream.  Place chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.  Add hot cream to chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.  Ladel over cheesecake allowing chocolate to run down the sides, spreading with knife when necessary.  Place a few tablespoons in a ziploc bag.  Arrange strawberries on top of the cheesecake then drizzle remaining chocolate on top.  Chill until chocolate is set.