Level 1 Cook - Cheesecake

Welcome to Level 1 Cook! This is a visual guide to making a delicious cheesecake, even if you have zero cooking experience, like me!

Firstly, you'll need some a recipe. I've used this one: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/strawberry-cheesecake-3704

Secondly (optionally!), you might want some music. My library was kind to me, so I've thrown the highlights into a playlist: link provided below. It's a mix of lyrical, orchestral, and chiptune stuff; I think you'll like it! Someone will, surely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGtmI9hghA&feature=share&list=PLDTibbiNSZ8FgXc_cdn6EsUwS27r8KqGv

So, here are the ingredients:
- Digestive biscuits, 125g. Or whatever sweet wholemeal biscuit you can get in your country.
- Butter, 75g.
- Cream cheese, 300g.
- Sugar, 60g.
- Vanilla extract, 1.5 teaspoons.
- Thickened cream, 250mL.
- Strawberry jam, 500mL.
- Fresh strawberries for topping.

First, crush the biscuits into a bowl with your hands. This is not crushed enough!

This looks better, but needs a little more crushing. Picture your enemy. Do to the biscuits, as you would do to them! The biscuits probably deserve it anyway.

Next, take your butter...

...and nuke it. My phone does not like microwaves, apparently. 10-15 seconds at a time on high until it's fully melted; stir with something to see if there are any solid lumps left.

Should look like this! If you nuke it too much, the butter will separate and you'll have a bad time. Stir it up to mix it back together, and hope for the best.

Pour molten butter into biscuit shards and powder. Stir it through until it has a slightly golden, sticky feeling to it.

Crush the biscuit/butter mixture into the base of a pan; I've used a springform pan for easy removal later. Use the bottom of a spoon to crush any remaining large pieces, and ensure that it's spread evenly.

Using said spoon, apply jam. Liberally. Thicker jam = more delicious. Just make it as even as you can. This is probably the biggest timesaver over making something fancier; if you're above level 1, consider making your own strawberry solution.

In a clean bowl, place the cream cheese...

...vanilla extract...

...and sugar.

Stir it until it's reasonably even. This may be difficult if the cream cheese is still cold; do your best! Use a mixer of some kind; a whisk will NOT cut it.

...a whisk is not a cutting implement. Zero XP, maybe, but even I know this, and now you do too.

This is probably enough stirring of the proto-cheesecake mixture. If it makes you feel better, you can keep going. It made me feel worse.

Pour your cream in. Now, stirring will be much easier. It should look something like this by the time you're done. Again, an electric mixing implement will save you a lot of time.

Pour the nascent cheesecake over the base/jam. It may not be as fluid as mine; this is probably a good thing - just scrape it out with a spoon if you have to! Don't do as I did, and add milk.

Smooth it out as best you can using the bottom of a spoon. It should be pretty easy to make it look as nice as this.

Now, fridge it! Leave it in the fridge for at least three or four hours; overnight is totally acceptable, unless you risk someone stealing your dessert... damn ganking rogues. Maybe ward it.

Once you're happy with how cold and set your cake is, move to the garnishing phase.

Find the largest, most overpowered strawberries you can. When you eat them, you gain their strength. Spend that XP on more cooking talents. Slice them into halves, wedges, whatever shape pleases you the most.

Apply the strawberry shards, halves, fragements, etc, to the top of the frozen cake! Whatever pattern you like, of course.

Remove the cake from the pan (or the pan from the cake if you used a springform), and DING! You've levelled up, in the desserts tree, at least! Enjoy your cake!