Cheesecake Pie w/ Strawberry Sauce!

Hey guys! First off I wanna say sorry I've been M.I.A. lately. I've been staying busy working at Just Cupcakes, and in my free time Josh and I have become addicted to watching Dexter (all 3 seasons are on Showtime On Demand!!). I made some 7-grain bread last week, but we ate it all before I could take photos and post the recipe. I know i'll be making it again, so look out for that recipe coming soon. Also, my dad's birthday is September 10th. YOU KNOW I'll be making his cake, so keep an eye out for that post as well.

Until then, how about a cheesecake recipe?? It's simple, but it's delicious. I used Teddy Grahams for the crust, and the cheesecake is creamy and mm-mm-good! The homemade strawberry sauce is... well, it's just okay. I won't make it again because it's just too sweet and the strawberry flavor is diluted. It might taste better after a night in the fridge, but as of this moment it's lackluster. =/ At least it's pretty to look at! If you have a better recipe for strawberry sauce, you know where to leave it! ;) Cheesecake Pie w/ Strawberry Sauce

Graham Crust
2 1/4 cups Honey Teddy Grahams (or 20 graham cracker squares)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Sauce (from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook)
2 quarts fresh strawberries
1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional

In a food processor, pulse Teddy Grahams until no big pieces remain. Add melted butter and salt. Pulse until evenly blended; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla just until blended. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.

For strawberry sauce, wash, hull, and dry the strawberries on paper towels. Slice them 1/2 inch thick, vertically from top to tip, into a large bowl.

Bring 3/4 cup of the water and all the sugar to a boil in a medium-size sauce­pan over high heat and let boil for 5 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup water in a cup. Whisk this mixture into the boiling syrup and cook until the mixture thickens and turns clear, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the extracts and food col­oring, if you like.

Drizzle over the berries and toss lightly to coat. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.