A short break from debugging turned into finally making something I’d been wanting to try for a while. While stuck on a distributed system bug, I stepped away and baked instead and it turned out really well. It’s the kind of treat that’s fun to share and the whole process felt like a reset with no phone, full focus, and something tasty to enjoy at the end.

Ingredients










Strawberry topping


Crumble topping



Procedure

  1. For the topping, heat half the strawberries with sugar until syrupy, simmer until thick, cool, then mix in the remaining strawberries.
  2. Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line and grease an 8×8 dish.
  3. Crush biscuits, mix with melted butter, press firmly into the pan, and chill.
    crush biscuits
  4. Soften cream cheese, mix in sugar, vanilla, eggs, cornstarch, salt, and cream until smooth.
  5. Pour over the base and bake 35–40 minutes until set but wobbly.
    cheese cake
  6. Combine flour and brown sugar, rub in butter to form crumbles.
    crumble
  7. Spread cooled strawberry topping over the cheesecake, add crumble, and bake 20 minutes until golden.
    after baking
  8. Cool briefly, chill for several hours or overnight, lift out, slice, and serve.
    finish-1
    finish-1

Tips

  • Next time, add a bit more salt to the crust for better contrast.
  • The blueberry flavor was faint this round; consider increasing the amount or using a more concentrated form.
<
Previous Post
Lasagna
>
Next Post
Sesame Cheesecake