Instructions

1. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Put a tea kettle or large pot of water on the stove to boil for the bath.
2. Mix together crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust for 7 minutes and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream. Pour batter into springform pan on top of crust.
4. If your cheesecake pan is not leakproof, cover bottom and sides securely with foil before adding water. Place springform pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
5. Bake until cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 70 to 80 minutes.
6. Remove cheesecake from water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.
7. For Strawberry Glaze, puree thawed strawberries in a small food processor. Press blended berries through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Add the water.
8. In a small bowl mix together sugar and cornstarch. Stir into the puree in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened and clear. Add food coloring to give vibrant red color. Cool to room temperature.
9. Arrange strawberries in a single layer around the cooled cheesecake. Drizzle cooled glaze evenly over cheesecake. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze over strawberries to coat each berry. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 16 servings.

Recipe courtesy Brian Kuel